Forever Together
by EquinoxWolf
Summary: What if the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed and Midna was left in the Realm of Light? Join her and Link on their quest to find a place to call home. [Original Author: Magic Basher54986]
1. Chapter 1: A Twist and a Break

**Hello everyone, EquinoxWolf is back and with another wonderful story to share with you all. I would first like to give special thanks to this title's original author, Magic Basher54986, who has given me the great honor of completing their work with my own ideas. For those of you who remember the original, the first four chapters have been remodified but still follow the same themes as before. I hope you all enjoy reading Forever Together as much as I have enjoyed writing this.**

**WARNING: If you haven't finished the game before, this chapter has spoilers. If you have no qualms with this then continue by all means. If you don't want to have the game ruined for you then I suggest closing your browser, purchasing the game if you haven't, and playing the ever loving crap out of it until you're done. Alternatively, go on YouTube and watch walkthrough videos.**

**The following a non-profit fan fiction story. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the property of Nintendo and its respected partners. Please support the official release.**

* * *

_**True love can withstand any obstacle without falter**_

**Chapter 1: A Twist and a Break**

"Well... I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna said, a touch of sadness in her voice. The sun bore down onto her orange hair in a way that it shone like fire, a brilliant contrast to her dark, open cloak and black and pale-grey skin. "Light and shadow can't mix, as well all know. But... Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin..." replied one of her companions wisely, a fair-skinned young woman in a purple and white gown fit for a princess. "One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes... That is what I believe."

Midna looked at the human princess with a small smile on her lips. "Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you... Then maybe you'll do alright."

She turned away and walked a few steps towards the edge of the stone platform they stood on, along with the ancient magical artifact, the Mirror of Twilight. A staircase made of pure light manifested before her feet, ascending towards a gaping portal cut right into a towering slab of obsidian. Once Midna stepped through the portal, she would return to the Twilight Realm, an antithesis of this world of light. She was loathe to leave, having made many wonderful memories during her time in Hyrule, but as princess of her people, the twili, Midna had a responsibility to return to her own kingdom.

The Twilight Princess turned around to face the third person in the dusty chamber. He was a young man garbed in a green tunic with a matching hat, armed with a sword and shield strapped to his back. Link, the Hero Chosen by the Gods, was shorter than Midna, the top of his head only just reaching her chin. She smiled at the fact as she had spent the past year cursed in the form of a waist-high imp. Now with her true form restored, she towered over the swordsman she had grown to care about so deeply.

"Thank you," Midna said to him. Her words failed to express the true extent of her appreciation for saving both her and her people from a terrible fate. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again." The statement made her throat tighten. During their time together, Link had become her closest, dearest friend, and yet she was about to do something that would ensure that she could never see him again. The thought of it tore her apart.

Midna closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Link, I..." she started, but her voice failed her. With a wave of her hand, the tear floated away through the air, en route to the ancient mirror that bridged the gap between worlds.

She sighed in resignation. "See you later." The teardrop collided with the shining glass, which fractured upon contact as was the power of the true ruler of twilight.

"Midna, no!" she heard Link cry desperately. A hand gripped her arm firmly and jerked her forward so suddenly that Midna opened her eyes in surprise. Unbalanced, she crashed into the green warrior and they both fell heavily to the sandy floor.

Midna quickly raised her head up and looked to the shattering Mirror of Twilight, shock nearly overwhelming her. "Link? What did you do?" she whispered. The glass exploded with its enchantment destroyed, leaving nothing but a frame as empty as her. The black portal faded out of existence and reduced the stone slab to a plain chunk of rock.

She looked down at Link, his eyes wide with guilt and horror. "Midna... I'm sorry... I just didn't... I..." His mouth flapped open and closed like a gaping fish. Midna too was at a loss to say. She felt Zelda's hand come to rest on her shoulder.

The other princess sighed. "Now I fear we may have a war on our hands."

Midna finally stood up from where she and Link laid. She took one long look at the mirror frame then turned to face Zelda. "No, I don't think there will be a war," she said evenly.

Zelda's brow creased into a small frown. "But will your people not try to retrieve you? You are their rightful princess."

The twili shook her head. "I don't believe so. My head councillor, Meltoc, has been trying to get me to step down ever since I first took the throne. I'd bet that he'd just write me off as dead and put someone else in charge." Her tone was tinged with some derision.

"You seem to be taking this rather well," Zelda remarked.

"I guess now that I'm stuck here I might as well accept it. Honestly, I don't mind all that much," Midna replied with a slight grin.

Link picked himself up and looked at her with hope in his eyes. "So you'll stay?"

Midna gave him her trademark smirk, mischievous with a touch of affection. "Yes, wolf-boy. I'm not going anywhere." He beamed.

"If you have chosen to stay, Midna," Zelda spoke, drawing her attention, "then may I offer you accommodation at the castle?"

The Twilight Princess shook her head again. "No thanks, Zelda. I think I'll stick with Link for a while longer. No offence but in case you don't remember, your castle is kind of a dump at the moment." Mere hours ago, Link and Midna had fought against a powerful enemy by the name of Ganondorf to save Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule. In the awesome battle that transpired, much of Hyrule Castle had been decimated.

An awkward smile appeared on Zelda's lips as she recalled the fact. "Of course," she said. "As there is no longer any purpose in remaining here, I suggest we make our departure. This desert heat is beginning to be a bit much for me." Grinning, Midna took both her friends' hands and the threesome disappeared in an ascending mass of black squares.

* * *

Entering Castle Town was an interesting sight for the trio. Citizens were running about and gathering in panicked hoards with the town guards struggling to maintain order. When Princess Zelda's arrival became known, the chaos reduced considerably. She instructed the townspeople to return to their homes and commanded the soldiers to escort her to what remained of her home, with the hero and his otherworldly companion following close behind. They found the castle gates smashed to pieces and the palace behind it standing with a great gaping crater in the main structure.

"Wow," Midna remarked, "this place is an even bigger mess up close."

"Yes," Zelda agreed with disdain, "and I will need to organise its reconstruction if this kingdom is to ever truly recover from Ganondorf's conquest." She turned to her two friends. "I do not expect either of you to stay and assist me. You are both free to leave if you wish."

Link bowed to the Hyrulean Princess respectively, although Midna giggled at him for it. "Thank you, Your Highness. I need to get back to Ordon now. The village's children should be returning with Rusl and they'll all be expecting me." The princess nodded approvingly and he turned then walked away.

"See you later, Zelda," Midna said as she went to follow him, not bothering with formalities much to the soldiers' confusion.

As soon as they made it out of the city, Link led his companion aside. "Midna, I am so sorry for what I did back in the Mirror Chamber. It was selfish and stupid and now you can never go home because of it. I'm such an idiot."

For a tense moment Midna said nothing and then smirked at him. "Yes Link, you are, as I've told you half a hundred times before. But you don't need to apologise."

He shook his head slowly. "It's just that... I knew once you started to break the mirror, as soon as you stepped back into your world, I was never going to see you again, and it hurt. I love you, Midna, and I didn't want to lose you, but now I feel like I don't deserve you anymore."

Link shut his eyes tight, fearful that Midna would slap him in the face or punch him or something else he thought he deserved. What surprised him beyond belief was that instead he felt her soft lips touch his. They lingered there for a blissful second before they were gone once more. Link opened his eyelids and gazed at the twili woman standing ever so close to him, giving him a warm smile.

"Link, I love you too. To be honest, I really didn't want to go back home. I wanted to stay here with you but I couldn't just ignore my responsibility to my people. I knew that I couldn't have both things and that I had to choose. I hated it because although I would have stayed, I would have felt guilty about abandoning my kingdom. But thanks to you I don't have to worry about that anymore. I have what I want now and I'm happy knowing that the choice wasn't mine to make. I don't have any regrets, so neither should you."

She kissed him once more, this time longer, deeper. Link felt a heavy weight being lifted from his heart and replaced by light joy. When they parted, he reached into his pocket for a horseshoe-shaped whistle and blew a short tune with it. The sound of hooves echoed as Link's faithful chestnut mare, Epona, came cantering towards the two lovers. The horse slowed to a halt before them and flicked her shaggy, white mane with a whinny.

"Hey there, girl," Link said to the mare affectionately, patting her nose. "Ready to finally head home?" Epona tossed her head as if to say yes.

Midna giggled. "She's a smart horse," she commented as Link climbed up onto the saddle.

"That she is," he agreed. He offered Midna his hand and helped her up behind him. Midna coiled her arms around the swordsman's waist and held him tight.

"Link, let's go home," she said. He smiled and turned Epona south for Ordon.

* * *

The journey only took a few hours, which was not all that long considering Epona's above-average speed. Soon the vastness of Hyrule Field came to an end as the tree line of Faron Woods came into view. Seeing the forest made Link's heart lift even higher as it always felt like home to him.

"We're just about there, Midna," he said over his shoulder.

The princess lifted her head from his back and smiled. "I hope I don't cause any problems with your village."

Link laughed. "Are you kidding? I'm sure they'll love you, just like I do."

She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "If you say so. Maybe I can get some different clothes there. I don't think royal attire is going to work very well in a farming village."

"I'm sure Uli will be able to find something for you to wear. Probably should get you some shoes while we're at it. You never know what you might step in." Link grimaced at the thought. Midna didn't need him to elaborate.

After another half hour riding through the trees and passing over the Bridge of Ordona, Link's house came within sight, a quaint structure built atop a rocky ridge with a ladder hanging from the front door to the ground. As soon as they made the last ten meters, several children jumped out into view.

"Link! You're back!" The hero grinned broadly as the four youngsters ran up to hug him all at once.

"That I am," he chuckled. Link freed himself from the children and gestured to his companion. "Colin, Talo, Malo, Beth, meet Midna." The twili waved shyly from behind him. The youths greeted Midna more eagerly that she had been expecting.

"Hey, Epona," said another voice. Link twisted around to find a blonde-haired girl about his age stroking the horse's neck. "Did you miss me?" she asked the animal.

"Hi, Ilia," Link greeted, grinning.

Ilia looked back and smiled. "Oh hey, Link. Welcome back." She returned her attention back to Epona, as though the mare's master hadn't spoken at all. Midna smirked at Link, who shrugged awkwardly.

"Ilia, this is Midna. She's going to be moving into Ordon." The girl spun around to face them properly and shook the twili's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Midna. Link, Epona looks like she's had a long journey so I'm going to take her to the spring and give her a bath."

A smirk broke on the swordsman's face. "So now you telling me that you're stealing my horse?" he chuckled. "That's fine, Ilia. I'll see you later." He then walked towards the village with Midna in tow.

"I almost forgot how beautiful the place is," Link admitted when they emerged from the woods, taking in the sights and sounds that soothed the homesickness he bore. Houses dotted the clearing, some of which were built out of hollowed tree trunks. A small stream cut through the middle of the village and flowed into a small lake, sunlight glistening off the tiny waves.

Link made a right turn and started for the house that belonged to Rusl, the hero's mentor in swordplay as well as the closest person Link had to a father. He knocked on the door and was answered by the aging swordsman and his wife, Uli.

"Link! Welcome back!" Rusl exclaimed, placing a hand firmly on the boy's shoulder. Uli stepped forward and pulled Link into a motherly embrace. Both she and her husband took notice of Midna and looked to her with interest.

"Rusl, Uli, this is Midna. She's going to be staying here in Ordon with me."

Uli titled her head in curiosity then smiled warmly. "Welcome to Ordon, Midna. Any friend of Link's is a friend of ours." She invited the young couple inside and closed the door behind them. The small house was exactly as Link remember it always had, save for the cot against the wall where Uli's newborn child slept peacefully. After introducing Link to his adoptive sister, Trish, Uli turned her attention to Midna.

"So tell me Midna, how long to you plan to stay?"

"As long as she wants," Link replied, pulling the twili in close and causing her to blush.

"Wrong, Link," Midna said. "As long as you're here."

He chuckled then turned to his foster mother. "Uli, do you think you can lend Midna some spare clothes? I'm afraid she doesn't have much else besides the ones she's wearing now."

Uli studied their behaviour then nodded in answer to the question. "I believe I can, but you men are going to have to wait outside." She guided Link and Rusl back to the door and gently pushed them out, locking the door after them.

Out on the porch, Rusl recovered from being booted out of his own home and turned to his former pupil. "I take it there is an interesting story behind you and this girl isn't there?"

Link scratched the back of his head apprehensively. "It's kind of a long one."

"If your friend is like any other woman I know, with the exception of Ashei, then we have plenty of time out here." Rusl smirked.

Link was silent for a few moments. "Alright, but you're going to want to sit down for this and be ready to hear a lot of crazy stuff." The two lowered themselves onto the wooden porch as Link attempted to collect his thoughts.

"Were do I start?" he asked to no one in particular.

"I've heard that the beginning is usually as good a place as any," Rusl answered with amusement. Link gave him a withered look.

"Fine. It all started back when the village was attacked and the children were kidnapped. I ran after the monsters that did it and hit a wall, literally. The path was blocked by this magic barrier made of Twilight. Something from the other side pulled me through and I blacked out. When I came to, I was locked in a dungeon below Hyrule Castle, trapped in the body of a wolf." Rusl's eyes went wide at the last part yet he did not interrupt.

"That was when Midna first showed up. She helped me escape but in exchange she told me that I had to follow every word she said. Back then she wasn't as nice as she is now. Anyway, Midna led me out of the dungeon and took me to meet Princess Zelda. The princess told me that Hyrule had fallen to a madman named Zant from the Twilight Realm, another world opposite to this one, and the kingdom was blanketed in Twilight. Because of the Twilight, people were turned into spirits, monsters were free to run amok, and I was transformed into a beast. Zelda told Midna and me that we needed to restore the lost power of the light spirits to save Hyrule and that's what we did.

"When we freed Faron Woods from the Twilight the spirit, Faron, told me I needed to match the king of the shadows by collecting a dark power from the nearby temple, a piece of an artifact known as the Fused Shadows. After we did that, we travelled to Kakariko Village and found the younger kids with Renado. Midna and I then saved the spirit, Eldin, and went to the goron tribe to get another piece of the Fused Shadows. It had changed their patriarch into a monster and we had to free him to get the relic.

"This is quite the tale you're telling me," Rusl spoke up, scratching at his beard.

"I haven't told you the half of it yet," Link said, "but I swear it's all true. Now where was I? Oh yeah, after helping the gorons, Midna and I found Ilia at Castle Town with Telma and the zora prince, Ralis. Next we went to Lake Hylia and found that Zora's Domain had frozen over. We managed to get the water flowing again and then we worked to help the last spirit, Lanayru. Lanayru directed us to the last Fused Shadow, which was at the bottom of the lake. I couldn't swim that far down so we tried to find a way to get to the zora temple.

"The two of us headed back to Telma's where I learned out that Ilia had lost her memory and Ralis was sick. No one could help him in town so Telma got me take them all to Kakariko to find Renado. While we were there, Midna and I found this special armor that could help me breathe underwater, so we returned to Lake Hylia and got the Fused Shadow."

Link paused there, his face fell. "That's went things went wrong. As soon as we left the temple, we ran into Zant. He overpowered both us and Lanayru and took the Fused Shadows. Then he tried to kill Midna." He looked at his mentor with haunted eyes. "She... she was in a really bad way, Rusl. She was dying and I didn't think I could save her. Lanayru told me to go to Zelda, so I did and the princess told me where to find the Master Sword. Then Zelda sacrificed her own life to heal Midna.

"I guess it was at that point when Midna started acting more compassionately. We found the Master Sword and set out to confront Zant in the Twilight Realm. To get there we needed to locate the Mirror of Twilight, the only way in and out of that world. We didn't know where it was though so that's when we came to you and your friends for help. We explored the Arbiter's Grounds that Auru was investigating and found the mirror, but only a broken part of it.

"We searched all over Hyrule for the missing fragments, and along the way we managed to get Ilia's memory back. When Midna and I repaired the Mirror of Twilight, she told me that she was the princess of the Twilight Realm and the true ruler instead of Zant..."

"A _princess?_" Rusl interrupted incredulously, glance towards the door behind him. The man shook the shock away then gestured for the hero to continue.

"Yeah, that's right. Zant obtained some great power and used it to take over the Twilight Realm and banished Midna. She started searching for the Fused Shadows to get her kingdom back and coerced me into helping her. Together, Midna and I defeated Zant, but that wasn't the end of it. We learned that Zant was working for someone far worse, a man named Ganondorf, and he was waiting for us in Hyrule Castle. The two of us then stormed the castle, fought Ganondorf and revived Princess Zelda, and now we're here."

The old swordsman reflected on the story for a few long minutes, taking it all in and trying to accept even though it sounded completely insane. "If Midna is truly a princess then why is she here with you instead of her kingdom?" he inquired.

Link cringed. He was not looking forward to this. "Well... Midna was planning to go back using the Mirror of Twilight. But she was going to destroy it so that the two worlds would stay separate, and if she did that then I would never get to see her again."

"And?" Rusl pressed when the young man trailed off.

"You're probably going to kill me for this, but... I pulled her away from the portal at the last second before the mirror broke. I didn't know what I was doing at the time. I loved her, and I just reacted to the situation."

His mentor closed his eyes and let out a disappointed sigh. "Did you ever think that she needed to return to the Twilight Realm?"

"I know, I know," Link answered, waving his hands defensively. "But it's alright. Midna told me she didn't want to go anyway. She's actually glad I stopped her."

"That I am," said the aforementioned princess. Both men snapped their heads towards her. She stood in the door frame wearing a dark red dress that reached just past her knees, sleeves ending at the elbow to display the twili markings tattooed onto her arms. She wore on her feet a pair of sandals that were a little too small for her. Her fiery hair had been released from its clasp and now hung freely down her back. Slowly, Link stood up from the ground, never once removing his gaze from her.

"Midna," he said in awe. "You look stunning." She blushed then turned to Uli.

"Thank you, Miss Uli," she said.

The older woman smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Just call me Uli, and you are most welcome."

Link could not stop staring at his love. She was the very image of beauty itself in his mind. He became lost in the view, only waking up from his daze when Midna snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Hello? Link, are you in there?" she joked.

His eyelids fluttered as he jumped back into reality. "Huh? What?"

"I was just saying that now would be a good time to introduce Midna to the mayor," Rusl repeated himself with a hint of amusement.

"Oh right," Link blushed. "Yeah, good idea. Thanks Uli. See you later, Rusl." He took Midna's hand in his and together they headed for the mayor's house.

The married couple stared after them, smiles on both their lips. "She's a peculiar one, that girl, but sweet," Uli remarked.

"They seem to be very happy together," Rusl agreed. "I'll tell you the full story inside."

The smile faded from his wife's face as she sighed. "He's grown up so fast, dear. Looking at him now, with a woman he clearly loves so much, it makes me feel old. Goddesses, I still remember the day when we adopted him when he was a little boy. I can't believe so much time has passed since then."

"We've still got two more children," Rusl reassured. "This just shows that we need to appreciate the little time we have left with them while they're young."

"That's true," she replied. "I just hope those two don't rush into anything. I don't think I could handle being a grandmother at my age." They both laughed at the idea then retired back to their home.

* * *

**And there we have it, Chapter 1. Sorry about the long explanation of the game but that was for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the story. Plus, I'm trying to keep chapters at around 4,000 words each. This is probably the one part in this story I might have been able to do without.**

**As with my previous story, I will publish chapters once a week. If you would like to read more then I recommend looking at my other stories, The Peacekeepers and Two Wolves. Also, if any of you are Legend of Spyro fans then look up Mistreated by htffan951, which I have acted as co-author and editor. Be warned; there are many feels to be had.**

**EquinoxWolf, signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2: From Princess to Farm Girl

**It's been about a week now and so here is our next chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: From Princess to Farm Girl**

Midna stirred from the sunlight that fell on her eyes. When she awoke, she gazed at her surroundings, trying to remember where she was. Then she looked down to the sleeping form of Link snoring softly beside her and smiled. He seemed so peaceful. While asleep he no longer looked like a chosen hero who was larger than life and more like a normal person. In that moment, Midna felt as though the danger and wonder of their adventure together had been a lifetime ago, and that they were no more special than any other couple, just two ordinary people who loved each other.

"Hey, Link!" A voice cried out, jolting her out of her trance. Midna gave a startled scream and fell out of the bed, landing hard on the wooden floor and tangling herself up in the bed sheets.

Link bolted upright at the sudden noise and glanced down at her with an alarmed expression. "Midna? What's wrong?"

"Link!" the voice repeated itself. Link looked out through the window and sighed in a mix of relief and annoyance.

"Oh, it's just Fado," he said. Link stood up from the mattress and helped Midna free herself from her linen cacoon before continuing onwards to the front door. "Hey Fado, stop that, alright? You scared the heck out of Midna!" He climbed down the ladder, soon followed by a very miffed Midna.

"Sorry, bud," the bulky farmer apologised. "Forgot she was in there with you. Morning, Midna." The twili glared at Fado, clearly irritated by the disturbance. The two had been introduced by Link the day before and although he came off as a kind person, Midna's opinion was that the man was an utter buffoon.

"You know, we really need to talk about how you come to wake me up in the morning," Link said, shaking his head.

Fado rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, guess this doesn't work out very well anymore now that you've got yourself a roommate. You willing to help out with the goats today?"

The hero nodded. "Sure, I'm willing. Just give me a bit so that Midna and I can have some breakfast."

When Fado turned to head back the village, the couple went back inside to prepare for the day. Link cooked the two of them scrambled eggs served on toasted bread with a cup of freshly squeezed juice. Midna dug into her food eagerly. She found that her boyfriend's creativity with simple ingredients made for more interesting meals than those she would have been served back in the Palace of Twilight. Link grinned as he watched her eat then a question popped into his head.

"Hey Midna, I was wondering..."

She looked up from her plate. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you would teach me how to use shadow magic, at least how to warp and stuff."

A playful smirk appeared on Midna's face. "We've known each other for a year and you're only just asking me this now?"

"Well I didn't think much about it since we were busy looking for the Shadows and Mirror Fragments," he replied with a shrug.

Midna's expression turned perplexed. "Why do you want to learn how to do shadow magic, anyway? It doesn't exactly have the best reputation in this world."

"I know, but you've shown me it's not evil and besides, it's really useful. Plus, I'm kind of curious."

She studied him carefully, hesitation in her gaze. "I'll think about it," Midna said at last. Link did tell the truth, shadow magic wasn't inherently bad, only when it was used for ill intentions. Still...

If she did decide to teach him though, she was more than well equipped to do so. When she had first fled her palace to escape Zant, she 'borrowed' a collection of spell books from the royal library, hoping at least one would contain something she could use to regain her throne. Midna then realised that she wasn't likely to be returning those books anytime soon given her situation. '_Oops_', she thought, hoping none of the tomes were one of a kind.

"I'm not in any rush," he told her. "I'll be working with Fado for most of the morning so we can talk about it later if you want."

"Okay," she replied. "You know, I'm a bit interested in seeing what you used to do for a living, so maybe I'll tag along."

"You don't have to. It's just herding goats. You might find it pretty boring."

"If you take your shirt off while you do it, it won't be," she grinned. Link turned a bright shade of crimson then shook his head when he worked out she was only teasing.

* * *

A few hours later, Link and Midna were walking back from the ranch, talking and laughing. They had intended to spend the rest of the morning strolling in the forest when a figure could be seen running towards them along the path out of the village. As he grew closer, the man's appearance became more visible until Link recognised him as the postman.

"MISTER LINK, HEY!" The two stood where they were, waiting as the postman sprinted up to them. He skidded to a halt and addressed the hero without seeming out of breath at all.

"Greetings, Mister Link. I have a letter for you from Princess Zelda." The postman held out an envelope sealed with wax, tutting a quick tune as he did so. Link accepted the letter and thanked the man. With the message delivered, the postman shouted out "Onward to mail!" and began running back the way he came, grunting in an even rhythm.

"It should be illegal to wear pants that short," Midna commented in distaste. "What's the letter say?" she asked as Link tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter.

"Helps if you give me a chance to read it first," he replied. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Apparently Zelda wants us to come to the castle to talk about my 'selfish actions'. Also, she has a quest for us."

"Selfish?" Midna exclaimed. "You're not selfish. You have to be the single most generous person in this whole dimension."

Link looked at her sadly. "I am selfish. I stopped you from going home to the Twilight Realm purely because of what I wanted."

She glared at him hotly. "Now you listen to me, Link. You are not selfish, I don't care what Zelda or anybody else says. I'm happy you did what you did and that will never change. You saved two worlds single-handedly and went through absolute hell without asking for anything in return. Doing one little thing to satisfy your own desires doesn't make you selfish, so don't ever say that you are."

He smiled a little. "You're amazing, did you know that?"

"I'm aware of it every second of every day," she grinned, pulling him into her arms and kissing him. "Come on, let's go see Zelda so that I can lecture her and find out what she wants."

"Are you going to change into your old clothes?"

"Why?" she asked. "Zelda's seen me in nothing but a helmet before so I don't really care what I wear in front of her."

"Fair enough. I should probably make myself more presentable, though. Plus, I really shouldn't go out into Hyrule unarmed." Link headed inside the house to change into his hero's clothes and grab the Master Sword and his hylian shield, placing them both onto his back.

"I'm ready," he told her when he stepped out again. "Are we going warp to Castle Town or should we take Epona?"

Midna considered it for a moment before answering. "Let's ride. Whatever Zelda wants can't be that urgent, plus I'll bet you're not in a rush to get an earful from her."

"You'd be right, there," Link chuckled. "Besides, the weather's pretty nice today. A ride would be a lot better anyway."

* * *

The town appeared calmer than it had been the previous day. People returned to their normal routine after the destruction of the castle yet they continued to whisper on what had happened to cause it. From what Link could tell, Zelda had made a public announcement to explain the events of the past year, of how dark forces had taken control of Hyrule and was later defeated by the chosen hero along with an unnamed companion. As Link and Midna walked through the streets, bystanders would point and stare unnervingly at their saviour and the mysterious woman with her arm around his.

At the castle gate they were halted by a soldier. Link told the guard that the princess was expecting them and presented Zelda's letter when asked for proof. The man escorted them through the courtyard which was littered with debris. Whole towers had crumpled to the ground, broken pieces scattered haphazardly like children's building blocks. Already, men and women were working to clear the damage though it looked like slow progress.

"It's hard to believe that something powerful enough to do this exists," Midna remarked, watching mules pull carts of rubble out of the courtyard.

"Remember that you're half of what caused this mess in the first place," Link smirked in response.

She glared at him. "Hey, how about you turn into a giant magical monster to fight another one and try not to wreck everything in a fifty meter radius. Anyhow, it's not like I can do that again, not with the Fused Shadows gone and all." During the battle with the gerudo warlord, Ganondorf, Midna had been defeated and the dark artefacts that gave her tremendous power were destroyed. It was a miracle that she had even survived that day.

Their guide didn't take them into the main castle, as the foyer had been demolished. Instead he took them around to a small servant's entrance to the side into a part of the structure that remained intact. They found the Princess of Hyrule in a cramped little office, barely larger than Link's basement. Zelda was bent over a thick volume, lost in its writings until the soldier coughed for her attention.

"Link, Midna, thank you for coming," Zelda greeted after dismissing the knight. She studied the plain red dress Midna wore and gave a small smile. "You look more like a being from the Light Realm I see, Midna."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the twili replied. "Link likes it well enough." She leaned against the green swordsman, who put an arm around her middle.

"The two of you are quite close now, are you not?"

Midna nodded, smiling all the while. "What did you want us for, Zelda?"

The human princess became serious as the conversation turned to business. "Once I made the arrangements for the castle to be repaired, I began searching the library for anything regarding the Mirror of Twilight. Fortunately most of the collection was unharmed during the collapse and I was able to find a lead on how to return Midna to the Twilight Realm."

Midna shook her head firmly. "I'm not going back, Zelda. I'm staying here with Link and that's final. If I went back then it would just cause more problems. I would be in the Twilight Realm constantly and Link would have to stay here in Hyrule as the Hero. We'd never be able to see each other then. That's why I'm glad he stopped me from going."

"Are you certain about this, Midna?" Zelda asked. "This is not a decision to be taken lightly."

"I'm sure, Zelda," she answered, nodding. "I love Link and that's all that matters. I don't care about anything else." To prove her point, Midna cupped her lover's cheek and kissed him.

"I'm not letting her go, Zelda," Link told the princess resolutely.

Zelda stared at the couple for a few silent moments. "So there is no way that I can talk you into returning to the Twilight?"

"Not on your life," Midna responded. She tightened her hold on Link's torso.

The princess sighed. "Very well. Where will you stay then?"

"With Link," the twili said without missing a beat.

"In Ordon?" Zelda asked critically.

"Wherever he is. After spending so long sleeping without a roof over my head, I don't mind the idea of working in the dirt too much."

"Didn't you write that you had a quest for us, Zelda?" Link interjected, attempting to change the subject. The princess rubbed her eyes tiredly then moved to close the open book on the desk.

"The quest was originally to find another way to the Twilight Realm but seeing as Midna is set on remaining in Hyrule, the point is now moot. Since you are both here however, I would like to ask you to deliver this to Prince Ralis of the zora tribe." Zelda handed Link an envelope identical to the one he had received earlier, down to the purple wax seal bearing the royal crest.

"This is a very important diplomatic document. Its purpose is to re-establish the alliance between hylians and zora. It also proposes a plan for the two races to assist each other in healing their wounds. Normally I would only trust the royal messenger to deliver this, yet as I have already dispatched him to the gorons, I must ask that you perform this task for me instead."

"Wow, we're doing the mail now. That's a far greater responsibility than saving the kingdom," Midna joked. Zelda frowned at her levity. "Sure, we'll do it, Zelda. Come on, wolf-boy." Link grinned and followed her out of the room after saying farewell to the Hyrulean Princess.

As they walked down the hall, Link allowed himself a short laugh. "She thought you would go back to the Twilight Realm." Midna found herself grinning as well.

"I don't have to do anything I don't want to do," she responded. "I might not be a princess anymore, but I still have that right."

The sun had reached its zenith in the sky and the couple's bellies began to rumble, signalling to the two of them that it would be a good idea to find some lunch before beginning their quest. They found a table outside of a little cafe located in the central plaza. Although the sun was warm and the breeze was pleasant, the constant attention they received from passersby disturbed the serenity of their meal.

"Don't they have anything better to do than stare at us all day?" Midna complained, eyeing the civilians with annoyance and feeling self-conscious.

The gawking unnerved Link just as much. "I guess not. To them we're the ones who made their lives safe again. Looks like we're just going to have to get used to this," Link said with a sigh.

Midna mumbled at her food. "I feel like they're staring at me more than you. Goddesses, I liked it better how it used to be with us, when I hid in your shadow where no one could see me."

Link placed his hand on hers tenderly. "If you did that then I wouldn't be able to see you either. You're beautiful, Midna. That's why they're staring." Midna blushed at him, giving him a smile as her fingers tightened around his. She felt her awkwardness fade away as she lost herself in Link's soft lake-blue eyes, looking at her with nothing but sincere affection.

"So how are we getting to Zora's Domain," Link asked after they left the cafe. They exited through the western gate of the city and crossed the bridge to where they had left Epona to graze. The horse heard them approach and shook her mane in greeting.

"I was thinking we could walk the whole way," Midna replied. He raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Now that everyone's treating us like celebrities, I don't think we're going to get much time alone anymore. I want to have you all to myself for as long as I can while I have the chance."

The swordsman smiled at her then turned to his horse. "Go on home, girl. We'll see you there."

Epona nickered in response then began running south until she galloped out of sight. Alone, the two lovers proceed in the opposite direction towards the northern mountain range. The plains were calm to the point where time seemed to stand still. The grass crunched softly beneath their feet as the clouds drifted lazily overhead.

"It's so peaceful out here," Midna said, looking around. "Usually there's some kind of monster trying to do us in right about now."

"I know," Link agreed. His hand reached up to touch the purple hilt of the Master Sword. "It was almost like every minute we were attacked by something, no matter how many enemies we killed."

Midna snuggled up beside him. "Are you happy now that you don't have to go back?" he asked her. The twili nodded.

"The Twilight's beautiful, but this is something else," she said. "Back there I would have spent day in and day out stuck inside the palace, so to say. Here I feel free to do what I want and go where I want whenever I want."

"So long as I'm there with you right?" Link added. She kissed him lightly on the cheek in answer.

"You know," he said after a period of silence, "during our adventure we were always busy either exploring a temple or trying to work out where to go next. We didn't have many opportunities to relax."

Midna nodded. "Yeah, but when we did it was always nice. Remember when we had to wait for that guy to fix the Sky Cannon?"

"Best three days of my life," Link grinned. He recalled doing nothing but taking it easy with his companion, swimming in Lake Hylia, wasting the hours away fishing, and talking about inconsequential things. He hadn't felt so at peace since before he first left his hometown when the bulblins attacked.

"But now we don't need to do anything anymore," he continued wistfully. "We've got all the time in the world and I have no idea what to do with it. Obviously I'm going to spend every day with you, but what I mean is what are we going to do besides that? Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life herding goats like last year never happened? And what about you? Are you really alright with living on a farm? You're a princess. You shouldn't have to be reduced to manual labour like that. You deserve better."

Midna hit him hard on the arm, causing Link to flinch in pain. "Will you shut up?" she scolded. "Link, I don't give half a damn about that stuff. If I have to hunch over in the mud digging up vegetables until I'm an old woman then so be it, so long as we're together. I don't want to ever have to say it to you again.

"As for the future, I don't know. My original plan was to shatter the mirror, go back home, rule the twili like I did before and miss you terribly, but now that idea's pretty much gone out the window." She leaned into him and placed her head on top of his. "For now, let's just improvise and see what happens. Who knows? Maybe next week a new disaster will hit us and we'll be back to monster slaying again."

Link allowed himself to laugh. "Well I certainly hope _that_ doesn't happen." He then pecked her on the cheek. "This was a good idea," he said, returning his attention to the scene around them. It was quiet enough for the two lovers to talk amongst themselves undisturbed, free to move along at their own natural pace. On Epona they would have had less time with one another and warping would have taken that opportunity away altogether. '_We should do this more often,_' he thought to himself.

They continued on, either talking about nothing or walking in complete silence. Gradually the sky began to fade from light blue to orange as the sun began to set on the horizon. A chill in the breeze signalling night was near made the two shiver and pushed them closer together for warmth.

"I think we should make camp for the night," Link suggested at last. He scrunched his eyes and threw his head back in irritation. "Damn, we should have brought the tent. It's going to be cold tonight, I can feel it."

"Then I guess we'll just have to cuddle up to keep warm," Midna grinned slyly.

The hero looked at her with a smile of his own. "It's not going to be very comfortable on the ground."

"Not really." She tapped on the shield strapped to his back. "There's your pillow, and I'm looking at mine."

He gave the woman in his arms a look before removing his weapons and placing them onto the ground. Midna brought out some food rations that the pair always kept for their travels and cooked them on a small fire the twili conjured. After the meagre dinner, Link took off his green cap and folded it in half, yet it provided little cushioning when he placed his head on the hard metal shield. Midna went to lie beside him and rested her head on his torso, feeling him inhale and exhale in an even, soothing rhythm.

They didn't go to sleep straight away. Instead they stared upwards as the stars began to reveal themselves amongst the blackness above. Link's hand gently caressed Midna's arm as they admired the many constellations. He pointed out the ones he recognised most; Ordona the Goat, the Golden Trinity, the Six Sages, Levias, and Hylia's Champion. Link recited the stories he heard behind each group of stars, making Midna laugh at how outlandish some of them sounded.

"The Champion sounds a lot like you," she commented. "Brave, strong, fiercely protecting the person he loves, and a bit of a bonehead." The hero tickled her out of vengeance.

"Do you think that they'll be legends about us after we're gone?" Link wondered pensively. "Do you think people will remember us?"

"I'm sure they would. I don't think Zelda would let what we did be forgotten. I bet our great-great-great-grandchildren will tell their kids about how the beautiful Twilight Princess and her little pet wolf saved the world from man who could turn into a smelly pig." Link's chest shuddered under her as he chuckled.

"Don't ever change, Midna." A huge yawn escaped him. "Goodnight, Midna. I love you." He closed his eyes, drifting into slumber.

"Goodnight, Link. I love you too."

* * *

**And there we have it.**

**In response to Scarlet Curls' review, I understand some of you may have concerns about my grammar last chapter, particularly towards my use of proper nouns. I would like you all to know that writing the names of the various races in lower case is intentional. While I understand nationalities like English and Chinese are spelled with a capital letter, I feel as though the case with hylians and zora is more of a species thing like cat and dog. I'm sure that anyone who is familiar with works involving multiple races like The Inheritence Cycle, Mass Effect and others will understand where I'm coming from.**


	3. Chapter 3: Master and Student

**In the last couple of weeks, I have received complaints that one update a week is insufficient for this story. I am happy to say that I enjoy your frustrations and hard nuts to you. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Master and Student**

Midna was the first to wake. The first rays of light tickled her eyes, causing her stir reluctantly from blissful dreams. She sat up and stretched her arms out wide, gazing up at the rising sun with a smile. The twili had never thought that she would enjoy the light so much, having been born and raised in a shadowy world that looked towards its sister realm with contempt. A single glance behind her and Midna was smiling even more as there she found Link snoring softly with a thin trail of drool running down his cheek.

She thought of trying to catch more sleep but she was fully awake now and the crisp morning air did not help at all. Making certain not to disturb the slumbering hero, Midna rose to a standing position and walked a short distance away. The twili figured that she might as well practice her magic for a while until the young warrior woke up.

Midna began with the simple conjuring of a dark sphere of energy. Concentrating, she made the ball expand and shrink to her will then had it orbit around her at a steady rate. Next she created another orb, then two, manipulating them all at once in the same fashion before making more. Soon she had a nexus of magical balls flying around her in intricate patterns, pushing her focus to its limit. She kept it up for a minute or so until she lost control of one of the balls, which struck a small rock with an audible pop.

Link jerked into sitting position, hand automatically going for the scabbard by his side. "What's happening?" he exclaimed, standing up and scanning around for threats. Midna couldn't contain herself and burst out laughing, allowing the remaining spheres to scatter and disappear. Realising that there was no danger present, the swordsman took a calming breath and looked at her quizzically.

"What were you doing?" Link asked her. His voice carried a combination of curiosity and annoyance.

"Practicing," Midna managed to say between stifled giggles. The hero replaced his weapons onto his back then sat back down on the ground. "You might want to get up again," she added.

"Why?"

"If you're down there, I can't teach you any magic." Midna smirked as he leaped up to his feet, a glint of excitement in his clear blue eyes.

"You serious?" he beamed. "_Yes! _Where do start? Warping? Levitation? Jumping into shadows?"

The twili grinned at his childish enthusiasm. "Hold your horses, wolf-boy. First I need to teach you some basic theory." She fought the urge to laugh again at his chest-fallen expression. "This isn't like swinging a sword around. There's actually a thing involved in magic, called thinking. You might have heard of it at some point."

"Alright," he said, his impatience was plain. "But can we hurry it up so that we can get to the good stuff?"

"Okay, okay, steady on," she grinned. "The first thing you need to know is that every living being has mystical energy in their bodies, which is also known as mana. Magic works by tapping into your mana and manipulating it. I want you to close your eyes and relax."

He did so, taking deep breaths to siphon off some of his earlier eagerness. "Imagine that there's a power flowing through your veins, all around your body," the twili instructed. He tried to follow although it was a little hard to think about something he didn't understand. Link simply imagined that it worked similarly to the blood coursing within him. He felt tingly inside, but perhaps that was just his nerves.

"Just feel it flow," Midna encouraged. "Breathe deeply and relax," she then whispered into his ear. Link couldn't stop himself from laughing, immediately distracted by the certain thoughts she put into his head.

"You know it doesn't help when you get all close and personal like that," he chuckled, looking at how near she now was to him.

Midna smiled impishly, one fang pointing out from under her lip. "I'm just checking if you're getting it or not. Have another go, you were almost there."

He tried once again, this time holding on to a warm sensation as Midna commented on his progress. Link concentrated onto the feeling for as long as he could until Midna instructed him to open his eyes again.

"Okay, now that you seem to be getting a feel for that, I'm going to get you to try something simple." She placed a tiny pebble into his palms. "Concentrate on lifting the stone with your mind. Use your mana to push it up off your hand as you would physically."

Link creased his brow, focusing all of his thoughts at performing the task. The first time the pebble didn't even so much as quiver. Neither did it the second time. On the third however, the little rock popped a few millimetres into the air before dropping onto its side. Ecstatic, Link kept trying, finally succeeding at keeping the object suspended for more than a few seconds. Midna pushed him further by attempting to move the stone around while airborne, eventually continuing on to larger, heavier items such as his wallet full of rupees. The strain was equal to carrying sacks in Ordon, with each bag holding more grain than the previous. Link struggled from the effort yet he persisted.

Midna was impressed by his progress and began teaching him other techniques. What amazed her was how despite the difficulty he faced, Link didn't tire from the exercises. The goddesses' chosen hero apparently had a vast amount of energy within him, likely from the legendary Triforce of Courage that he possessed. She predicted that if Link ever mastered magic, he would become one powerful sorcerer indeed. Over the next two hours, Link had learned how to light and sustain a ghostly-blue flame within his fingers, created energy orbs and juggled them with his mind, and managed to lift himself high off of the ground, although only to land on his face shortly afterwards.

"Alright," Midna said after her latest fit of laughter. "You're doing really well so far so I'm going to get you to try something a bit more complicated." She looked up towards the sky where a black hole opened right above them.

Link stared up at the vortex in astonishment. "Are you telling that after all this time, you were able to make your own portals? You do realise that could have saved us a lot of time and hassle?"

"Up until now I didn't have the strength to do this while I was cursed," Midna explained. "I want you to reach out to that portal with your mind and pull yourself into it. This isn't anything like what I've just taught you though. For you to warp to your destination, you need to keep that location in mind, keep your breathing level and never lose your concentration even for an instant. If you do, you could end up anywhere, provided there's a portal there."

Link nodded, paying rapt attention. He focused his thoughts on the rift in the heavens, feeling its magic with his mind alone. He grasped at it like he would a doorknob with his hand and attempted to delve into the dimensional distortion. Black squares of shadow magic began sprouting from all over his body but as soon as they came, they vanished.

"That was a good effort," Midna comforted. "A bit more practice and I think you'll get it." Link managed a small smile. "We should get going now," she added. "We've wasted a lot of time here already and we shouldn't keep the zora prince waiting any longer than necessary."

The couple broke camp after a breakfast of bland rations and continued to walk north across the field. Ten minutes passed by when Link interrupted the silence. "Hey, Midna? There's something I want to ask you." She looked at him, signalling for him to speak.

"I've just noticed that your left foot isn't black anymore even though it was yesterday. How is that?"

Midna looked down at her toes, all ten of which were pale as opposed how she usually had half as black as pitch. "Most twili use shadow magic to cover their bodies. The darkness acts like a second skin of sorts. We often clad ourselves in shadows rather than use proper clothing. It's kind of a cultural thing, plus it's cheaper. Generally it's considered indecent for a twili to go walking around with either clothes or shadows covering them."

The portal overhead closed itself, returning the blue sky to its natural state. "And you changed how you wear your shadows because..?" Link inquired.

"I just felt like a change, that's all," she said, looking at him. "After all, everything else about me is different now, so I might as well do a complete makeover. I can change it back if you want."

He shook his head. "You do what you feel is comfortable. Just don't do anything gross like pierce your face with jewelery or something like that," he grimaced.

Midna gave him an impish smirk. "You can do that? Huh, I might give it a go." She giggled when Link glared at her jadedly. He then relaxed his expression.

"So what about the markings on your arms?" He asked, pointing to the glowing blue glyphs.

Midna glanced at the intricate bluish designs. "That's a bit different. These are tattoos. They're drawn using magic and, unlike shadows, their permanent. Some of them enhance my powers but most are just for looks. I can teach you what they mean if you'd like."

"Can you teach me how to control shadows too?" He asked.

She quickly explained the process to him, becoming surprised to see black shapes already dancing on the back of his hand. The fingers of his right hand turned as completely dark. A thick shadow streaked across the side of his face, engulfing his right eye. "What do you think?" he asked.

Midna examined his new appearance with approval. "Dark and handsome," she grinned. "Now if you were taller, then you would be the perfect man."

He jabbed her playfully in the belly, making her squeal. "What's wrong with my height?" he said in mock offence.

"Nothing," Midna giggled. "I like how tall you are. It makes it easier for me to assert my dominance over you." She broke away from him and sprinted before he could poke her again. He chased after her, both of them laughing loud without a care for who heard or saw them. Eventually Link caught up to Midna and tackled the twili to the ground. He then assaulted her with tickling hands until he found his mouth against hers, bringing them into a long, passionate kiss.

When they parted for breath, Link stared down at her with a goofy smile on his lips. "At this rate," he panted, "it's going to snow before we deliver Zelda's letter. Maybe we should warp the rest of the way."

She gave a short chuckle. "You may be right. But first, get back down here. I'm not finished with you yet, mister."

* * *

Three days had passed since Princess Zelda had sent the hero and his companion on their mission for Zora's Domain. The young ruler was fully aware of her shadow counterpart's ability to instantaneously teleport from place to place, regardless of distance. She also knew that the journey there and back only took two days to complete on horseback. It had been longer than that and Zelda still hadn't heard any word from her two friends since they had left. The princess was becoming agitated, an experience that was rare for her typically calm demeanor.

A knock at her office door snapped her out of her restless stupor. Zelda called out for the visitor to enter and breathed a sigh of relief when the Twilight Princess walked in. "By the goddesses, where have you been?" Zelda demanded.

"Training," Midna responded cryptically. Zelda finally noticed a sword sheathed on the twili's back.

The Hyrulean monarch was no expert in weaponry yet she recognized the design of the hilt as being of zora make. Such blades were exceptionally unique in terms of the creation. They were thinner than a standard broadsword and lighter by far, however the method in which the swords were forged made the steel strong enough to hold its shape even against powerful blows. The technique the zora used took much longer than that the blacksmiths in Castle Town used yet the benefits were worth the extra waiting time and cost. The lightness of the swords allowed the fish-men of Hyrule's north to fight underwater with ease and they were largely popular with female warriors far and wide as well.

"You have been training with a sword," Zelda noted.

Midna affirmed the conclusion with a nod. She drew the sword to reveal its glossy, silver surface. The double edges of the blade gradually tapered to a deadly point. "Yep. And don't worry about your letter. Link and I delivered it the day after we left. It's just taken us this long to get back because we got a little sidetracked. Oh, and here's Ralis's reply." She handed Zelda a letter closed with a blue wax seal.

"I see," was the reply. The human princess glanced around her friend, seeing that she was alone. "Where is Link?" As soon as the question was asked, Midna's shadow leaped up from the floor and shaped itself into a humanoid form in front of Zelda's eyes, startling her. Black became green as the hero emerged into the physical world.

"Hello, Princess," Link greeted cheerfully. The shock on her face was priceless. Midna fell into a state of laughter, quickly joined by the swordsman.

"Link?" gasped Zelda. "How did you...? What has happened to your face?"

"Training," Link answered. He wrapped his arms around Midna's waist and held her close. "While I've been teaching Midna how to fight, she's been giving me lessons on how to use magic."

"You have been doing what?" Zelda said with wide eyes. The princess's expression set him on edge.

"I've been learning shadow magic," the hero repeated anxiously. Midna sheathed her blade and looked at her friend as evenly as she could manage.

"He asked so I taught him a few things. Then he did the same for me. I don't see what the big deal is."

Zelda's brow furrowed disapprovingly. "The 'big deal' is that Link is known throughout Hyrule as the Hero of Light, the one who fought back the darkness that oppressed its people. How do you think the public will react when they learn that their savior has tainted his name by taking up the same art that caused them all so much suffering? Your folly could be the source for further fear among them." A tense silence fell in the room.

"I see," Link said sadly, looking at the princess with a deflated expression. "I see how it is." As he turned to leave, he looked towards Midna. Although he was done with his audience with Zelda, he could tell from the twili's burning eyes that she still had some choice words to give. "I'll be waiting by the western gate when you're through, Midna." He then warped out of the room.

The princesses of light and shadow stared at each other, a tension charged between them. "You taught him _shadow magic_?" Zelda glared at the twili.

"So what if I did?" Midna shot back. "You make it sound like I've condemned him to hell! I've been using shadow magic all my life and you know that I would do anything to help you and Link. You did bind your soul to mine a few months ago so you have most of my memories."

Princess Zelda exhaled to calm herself then returned her gaze firmly to Midna. "I understand that your intentions were pure, but the fact remains that you may have irrevocably tarnished his reputation. You could have very well made him an outcast, and I doubt that even I can do anything to remedy the situation."

Midna threw her head back and laughed humorlessly. "I don't believe this. Link saved you and this lousy kingdom of yours when you needed him most. Now you're turning your back on him because he's taken an interest in something that is important to me, his girlfriend. I would have thought you would at least support him in this. After all, you're the one person we believed would have understood. But no, all Link gets from you is distrust, anger and rejection." She turned away.

"Midna, please. I did not me-" Zelda began softly.

The Twilight Princess looked back over her shoulder, eyes brimming with resentment. "When I first came to this world, I thought that light-dwellers were nothing more than selfish, greedy bottom-feeders spoiled by the goddesses. Then you and Link showed me otherwise when you both saved my life. But now I see that maybe I was right the first time." Midna warped out of the room before Zelda could respond.

She found Link leaning against a stone wall where he said he would be, curiously with his tunic slightly damp. "I see you made it here in one piece," she said.

"I had to double-back from Snowpeak. There's a blizzard raging over there at the moment."

"At least you got it quicker than the first time," Midna grinned.

He groaned, feeling the moldorm bite throbbing on his thigh. "Don't remind me."

The twili giggled then her face turned sullen. Link saw her change in expression and brought her into a tender embrace. Midna held him tightly, not caring about the wetness of his clothes. After her argument with Zelda, she needed something to comfort her. The smell of pine in her hero's hair gave her that as she leaned against him.

"Zelda did have a point," Link spoke, as if he read her mind. "She may understand what we're doing, but Zelda's wiser than most people. And unlike us, she's thought about how everyone else might react."

"That doesn't mean she had the right to attack you like that," Midna mumbled bitterly.

Link sighed. "Let's go home," he said. She felt a pulling sensation as he warped them away from the city then felt water lapping at her feet. Looking around, Midna found that they had arrived in the spring of the spirit, Ordona. The corners of her mouth lifted upwards as she noticed that Link had taken them to where they were supposed to go. He was definitely getting better. A sudden scream rented the air. Link spun around, drawing his sword and fearing the worst.

He quickly realized that the scream had come from Ilia, who only seemed to have been startled by the couple's unexpected arrival. The country girl stared at them by the spring gates with eyes as wide as saucers, rigid as a statue.

"Ilia?" Link lowered his sword. "Sorry. We didn't mean to scare you like that."

She slowly recovered from her shock then spoke after a few tense seconds. "Link? Midna? Where in Nayru's name did you come from? Link, what happened to your face?"

"Don't worry," he said as he slowly approached her. He placed his darkened hand onto her arm reassuringly. "It's just magic, I'm not hurt. See?" Link's face cleared up as the shadow retreated down his collar. Ilia gawped in bewilderment. "Midna's been teaching me a few tricks. We just warped here from Castle Town."

Ilia turned her gaze to Midna then back to Link. She shook her head slowly. "Those are some tricks. One second there was no one here then the next you showed up." The swordsman chuckled as the black streak snaked its way back to its original place on his cheek.

"Link!" Midna cried out. Before he could respond he heard a loud crack and Ilia's body went limp. As she fell to the ground, Link saw that a single bulblin stood behind her. A thick wooden club rested in the squat, green monster's hand. The creature's beady red eyes looked up at Link savagely. Anger quickly took over the hero as the Master Sword rose up to cleave the bulblin's head from its shoulders. Three more of the monsters appeared afterwards, rushing forward together. Link raised his free hand and blasted the lot of them with dark energy. The fiends flew back into the rock wall behind them and collapsed, broken and lifeless. Link ducked down to where Ilia laid, sick with worry. She was still breathing and there was no bleeding but she was unconscious.

"Is she okay?" Midna asked from over his shoulder, her voice full of concern.

Link exhaled before looking up at her. "I think so. We'd better get her back to the village." He flicked the blood of his blade before sheathing it. He then scooped up Ilia into his arms and carried her out of the spring.

"Looks like there are still some monsters around," Midna commented. The twili checked behind them for any other dangers but found none.

Solemnly, Link nodded. "It was lucky for Ilia that we got here when we did. After what happened last time those things were here, I don't want to think about what they could have done to her."

Midna studied him intently. "You really care about her don't you?"

The question made him flinch. "She's been my best friend since as long as I can remember. It was hard enough losing her once, especially when she lost her memory." He turned to face Midna. "Don't get me wrong, you mean far more to me than she does. I do care about Ilia, but you're the most important person in my life. Never forget that."

She smiled at him. "I won't. I was just asking."

"I may have known Ilia for longer than I've known you, but she hasn't been through half the hell that we've been through together. You're the only one for me, Midna. No girl will ever replace you."

"Thank you, Link," she blushed.

Moments later they walked out of the forest and into the village. Link let out a sigh of relief, glad that everything seemed to be in one piece. The bulblin attack had rattled him more than he had originally thought. He made his way over to Ilia's house. Link wasn't looking forward to explaining to her father, Bo, what had just occurred to his daughter. The mayor of Ordon was normally a laid-back fellow but like any parent he would freak out if he heard that his child had been in danger.

The aforementioned mayor walked out of his front door. The portly man had a reputation for being a seasoned sumo wrestler in his youth, although seeing him standing on his porch, idling scratching his rear, made him appear deceptively harmless. Bo glanced in Link's direction and his face turned to horror.

"Ilia! Link! What happened to her?" He came charging towards the young warrior. Link fought the strong instinct to back away from massive man before he got flattened. Thankfully Bo slowed down when the gap between them shortened to a few feet.

The mayor took Ilia from Link's arms as the boy tried to explain. "She was struck from behind by a monster at the spring. I killed it afterwards along with the rest of its pack. I think she's okay, though."

Bo looked up at him. "Goddesses, what in blazes happened to you? Looks like whatever attacked you did a real number on your face."

Link shook his head, beginning to feel self-conscious about the attention being drawn to his appearance. He had thought his new markings made him look cool. "They're just shadows. I've been learning shadow magic from Midna."

The mayor recoiled as he said the words. Link suddenly realized that after the way Zelda reacted, perhaps he should have been more delicate about addressing the topic. Bo's expression turned into one of deep anger.

"You... You've been learning that demon art?" the man's tone was dangerous. He glared at Midna. "And you know enough about it to teach it to him? Are you a witch of some kind?" Midna took a step back, looking as though she had been slapped.

Link leaped to her defense. "There's nothing wrong with shadow magic! And don't call her a witch!" he growled. "Yes, Midna knows how to use shadow magic but that doesn't mean anything. Her entire race has been using it for centuries."

Bo's horrified eyes widened further. "You mean she is one of _them_? She's one of the monsters that attacked Hyrule last year? Don't you remember what those fiends did to our village?! What they did to our children?!" The commotion had drawn the rest of Ordon around them. Every one of the villagers looked on with a mix of expressions, most of them stunned, some fearful.

"Don't think for one second that I've forgotten!" Link shouted furiously. "But Midna didn't do anything to us and her people weren't responsible for what happened!"

"Has she put a spell on you, lad? Or have you turned traitor on us?" The mayor's accusations made the hero's blood burn.

"Neither of those! Midna is not my enemy or yours. She helped me find the children again and save Hyrule."

Some of the villagers exchanged nervous glances yet Bo remained as he was. "Your kind has no place here," he growled. "I want you both to leave this village and never return."

Rusl finally stepped forward. "Mayor please, I believe your being rash and unreasonable. I'm sure this is simply a misunderstanding."

Bo looked at him, the scowl never leaving his face. "Rash and unreasonable, huh? Alright fine, does anyone else want these two prowling around our homes?" Uli and Colin protested, as did Fado, yet the rest hesitated and refused to meet Link in the eye. The mayor swept his gaze around and nodded, huffing. "I see we have a majority. Link, you and your demon woman are hereby banished from Ordon. Now get out!"

Link felt as though he had been gutted with a dull knife. He looked around at the people who had been his friends and family throughout his entire life. Saddened, he hung his head and his hands clenched into tight fists. "If that's how you all feel, I guess then this is goodbye." He turned and walked away. The children all called out to him, resisting their parents' attempts to keep them at bay.

Midna stood there watching Link with a heavy heart. Then she glared at Bo. "Good going, Mayor," she spat. "That's the second person today who's betrayed him." She turned and ran to follow Link, her sword jostling on her back.

* * *

**I can imagine what some of the next reviews are going to be like so I'm just going to nip this in the bud now. Yes, Midna is in her true form and still has fangs. Personally, I believe this is the entirely logical. We never see what Midna's teeth look like after she's returns to normal, but coincidentally we see that Zant has what look like needle-sharp teeth. Since the physiology of twili was molded by the forces of the Twilight Realm over many generations into darker beings, it's very possible that their teeth could resemble that of monsters. Regardless of what others might believe, I am going to hold fast to this theory and make it a recurring theme in the majority of my future works.**

**Despite the idea that Midna might have the mouth of a predator, she's still pretty hot. Just saying.**

**Oh yeah. You're also probably wondering about the whole shadow skin business. This was originally Magic Basher's idea. I thought it was a brilliant idea because it was unique, interesting and potentially plausible, so I decided to keep it in. It was this idea that made me so quick to get in when Magic Basher offered for someone to take over for the story, I pretty much jumped at the opportunity.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Hero Turned Exile

**Just to inform you, much of the fighting techniques employed throughout this story is based on my own experiences from my jujitsu training. I strongly suggest against using the techniques yourself in a real life situation unless trained yourself by a qualified instructor. There is a big difference between reading about how a technique works and actually practicing it. I cannot and will not take responsibility for any injury inflicted upon you or others as a result.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Hero Turned Exile**

Midna caught up to Link inside his house to find the hero clearing the place out. He walked over to every item he owned, after which each object would disappear into shadow particles. Link swept the open room at a snail's pace, taking his time in storing his possessions into his own pocket space; another power the Twilight Princess had given him. She walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his. His eyes were filled with so much hurt that her heart ached.

She tried to speak but her words failed her. Whatever she intended to say became muddled in her head, and the pain her love was in choked her into silence. He kissed her brief and gently then returned to his previous task. With nothing else for her to do, Midna began helping Link pick the house clean. She mostly focused on the larger items that the hero's current level of skill would struggle to stow.

When there was nothing else left, Link gazed around the bare structure forlornly for the final time. He gave a shuddered sigh then exited his former home with Midna. They found Epona grazing contently by the house. Hearing her master's footsteps, the horse looked up and immediately picked up his sorrow. She nuzzled him softly, to which he responded by patting her on the neck. Link took hold of Epona's reins and led her on foot out of the village. They traveled as far as the spring when a displaced voice called out to him.

"_Hero Chosen by the Gods_," it called. "_Come to my spring_." Link and Midna left Epona as they walked towards the small pool. The water turned bright with an otherworldly light. A luminous orb floated out from the surface and expanded above the couple. An ethereal shape sprouted from the sphere, contorting until it resembled the form of a massive goat. The spirit Ordona looked down at its audience.

"_Link, Bearer of Courage. You have stained your soul with the power of the shadows_," the spirit began.

Angrily, Midna stepped forward. "Don't you start!" she growled insolently. "Sure, Link has been learning the magic of the twili but that doesn't mean he's a bad person. Zelda and the mayor have already turned their backs on him. He doesn't need you spirits telling him he's evil now as well."

Ordona focused on her, the light spirit's expression blank. "_Peace, Twilight Princess. We spirits understand that the nature of your people's power is not inherently malicious, as you yourself have proven to us. However, it is the hero's learning of this power that is the reason I have summoned you here._" Link and Midna stared up at the divine goat anxiously. Their hands grasped each other unbeknownst to them.

"_Link, your deeds have brought peace once more to Hyrule and we spirits are forever in your debt. Alas, I must ask that you and the Twilight Princess leave this land._"

"What?!" the two exclaimed in unison.

"_Please understand._" Ordona continued. "_Though you have liberated this world from the dark veil of twilight, the people will only recognize you now as a threat to their newly restored freedom. Their fear and distrust will bring conflict once more and drag Hyrule back into a state of turmoil. That is why I implore you, for the sake of peace, to leave this kingdom and never return._"

Midna looked to Link. Three times he had been turned on that day and three times his heart had been crushed as a result. Through his devastation, he inhaled deeply then nodded. "I understand," he said, his voice weak and strained. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "I'll do as you ask." Hearing his words tore Midna up with immense guilt.

Silence fell within the spring. "_I apologize, this is a poor reward for all you have done. Regrettably, I have one more request to ask. This kingdom is protected by a chosen hero wielding the Sword of Evil's Bane. In order to ensure the safety of Hyrule in the future, I must relinquish the Master Sword from your possession, as well as the garb of the hero._"

Wordlessly, Link removed the scabbard from his back and held it out in his palms. The spirit's light intensified to the point where the hero was blinded momentarily. When his sight returned, Link found the Master Sword gone and that in place of his hero's tunic was his old white-and-green patchwork clothes. The sudden loss of part of his identity weighed heavily on his heart. Link looked towards the back of his left hand, fearing what he wouldn't find.

"_I have left with you the Triforce of Courage._" Ordona spoke. Seeing the three triangles tattooed on his skin filled Link with some relief. "_As the power of the gods is your birthright, we spirits have no right to take it from you._"

Link gazed up with a faint smile. "Thank you." Although he had a connection with the sword and garments of the ancient hero, the power of the Triforce which Link possessed felt like a vital part his being. Without it, he didn't know who he would be, nor did he ever want to find out.

"_I wish you good fortune, Link and Midna_," the spirit said as it faded. "_Farewell._"

The light dimmed around them until the spring had returned to its natural state. Midna soon managed to regain her voice. "Link, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

He surprised her by pulling her into a warm embrace. "No, Midna. I asked you to teach me shadow magic. If anyone's to blame, it's me."

Midna rested her head on his shoulder, feeling emotionally exhausted. "I shouldn't have taught you anything. I wasn't sure at first if it was a good idea and it turns out that it wasn't."

"Midna, what would have mattered? If people really would hate me for using shadow magic then how would they react if they found out about what you can do? Would you really stop doing magic altogether just so that people would accept us? No, shadow magic's a part of who you are, and I would never ask you to give it up for my sake. If this is the way things have to be then I'll accept it."

The twili let out a long sigh. "What will we do now?"

Link stepped away and lifted her chin with a finger. He smiled at her. "Well, now that we seem to be leaving Hyrule, we might as well see what else is out there. What do you say, Midna? You up for another adventure?"

"So long as I can bring along my favorite wolf, I think I might be," she said, returning the smile. Already her tone picked up to a more cheerful one.

They walked back to Epona, who had waited obediently for her master. Before Link could mount the saddle, he heard his name being called out to him. Turning around, his eyes fell on Rusl and Uli along with their son Colin and Trish in Uli's arms. The other children followed close behind and surrounded Link in a hug, begging him not to leave. He saw Fado trailing at the back of the group, his face no longer bearing its usual brightness.

"Link, I'm sorry about all this," Rusl told him. "We've tried to reason with the mayor but he won't listen to us."

"It's okay Rusl," Link said, the anguish in his voice betrayed his smile. "I'm just glad that at least somebody's still talking to me at the moment."

The old swordsman looked at the young man sadly. "Don't think badly about the other villagers. They're just afraid and uncertain. After what we've all been through, I'm not surprised they're a little skittish."

"I understand," the one formerly known as the hero replied. "Let them know that I won't hold it against them. How's Ilia?"

Fado cleared his throat to draw their attention. "She's fine now, but she got pretty upset when she found out Bo kicked you out. Last I checked, she was screaming at her father like nothing I've ever heard before. First time I've seen Ilia cry in a long time, I reckon." The knife in Link's chest twisted upon hearing this.

"Link, I'll keep trying with Bo," Rusl assured. "Hopefully I can convince him to allow you and Midna to come home soon."

Link shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Rusl. We've just spoken with one of the light spirits. They want us to leave as well. They believe that a lot of people are going to react a lot like Bo and I can't say I disagree with them. If things got ugly, I don't want Ordon to get caught up in it because of us."

Uli appeared as though she was about to cry. "Where will you go?" she asked with deep worry.

"We don't know. It's alright Uli. Midna and I have spent a lot of time running around together, not knowing what we're going to do next. This time we're just not going to have the weight of saving the world on our shoulders." He tried to be as cheerful as he could though he doubted it was convincing. Link turned to Fado. "Are you going to be okay with handling the ranch on your own?"

The rancher chuckled half-heartedly. "No worries, bud. Since you left last time, I've been getting better with the goats. I can take it from here."

"Link!" The sound of footsteps grabbed Link's attention. He saw Ilia sprinting up towards them with a bulky pack on her back. "Link, I'm coming with you," she told him, panting. The statement took him by surprise. He exchanged a glance with Midna.

"Are you sure?" Midna asked. Her tone was indecipherable.

The farm girl nodded. "I can't stay here, not after my father's gone and done something as stupid as this. It's not fair! Sure you can use magic, but that doesn't mean that you should be banished for it!"

Link looked back to Midna. The twili frowned slightly then shrugged, her equivalent to saying that she didn't disagree with the idea, however if something went wrong then it was on his head. "Okay Ilia, you can come," he told her. A slight smile was the country girl's response.

Colin stepped forward. "Link, I want to come too." Talo and Beth begged the same as well. Malo remained silent, refusing to admit his own similar feelings.

Link sighed and knelt down to their level. "No. You all need to stay here. You just got back home after year without seeing your parents even once. Don't hurt them by leaving with me now. Trust me; you need to be with your families more than you need me." Tearfully, the children nodded and didn't press further. Link looked to Ilia again to see if she would change her mind, yet she held her stance firmly.

In a flurry of shadow particles, Link summoned a sword to his open palms. It was the first sword he used on his adventure, which he had stolen to acquire. Rusl's eyes widened in surprise but he said nothing. Link presented the weapon to his father and mentor. "Here, Rusl. I borrowed this a while ago to save Hyrule. Since this is the last time I'll ever be here, I want to return it to you."

Rusl merely shook his head and pushed the scabbard back. "There are many dangers out in the world and you should never go unarmed. Keep it, Link. Let it be a reminder that there are still people here who will always care about you." The former hero slung the sword onto his back, thanking the man.

Uli came forward and hugged Link fiercely. "No matter where you go or what you choose to do, you will always be my baby." She released him then embraced Midna as well. "Look after him for me, would you Midna? Please?"

"I will," the twili woman promised. The send-off filled her with sorrow despite how little she knew these people. In such a short time, this small village had already grown on her.

After Uli hugged Ilia farewell, telling the girl to take care of herself, Link mounted Epona with Ilia sitting behind him. As there was no room for three on the horse's back, Midna surprised everyone, besides Link, by merging with the animal's shadow. With a flick of the reins, Link signalled for Epona to move. He and Ilia twisted around and said their final goodbyes to their lifelong friends. Crossing the rope bridge into Faron Woods almost broke Link's already fragile composure. This would be the last time he would ever set foot in the forest of his homeland. Though the day was warm, he had never felt so cold.

* * *

"Farore, I can't believe that you two went through all that," Ilia exclaimed. Link and Midna had just recited their entire adventure together to the girl. She listened patiently, only interrupting a few times to make a comment or ask a question. When they had finished, Ilia had been silent as she digested the story.

"Yeah, none of it was easy," the shadowy form of Midna said, floating beside Epona. "I reckon that we only succeeded because of Link's sheer dumb luck. The number of times I've seen him almost die keeps me up some nights."

"I like to think it's because I'm very resourceful," Link defended. "I mean, how many people are there who could grab onto a vine at the last second to stop from falling to their deaths?"

"I'll just let you believe that," Midna smirked.

Ilia looked to the shadow woman. "So you really came from another world?" Midna nodded in affirmation. "And you're the princess of that world?"

"Not anymore," the twili replied flatly. "I can't really be a ruler of a kingdom I can't go back to."

Ilia sighed wearily. "And all because Link is an idiot." The swordsman frowned over his shoulder at her.

Midna giggled. "Yeah, Link's an idiot." He scowled at her though her smile only grew. "But he's my idiot." Ilia bowed her head and was quiet for a while.

"I wish I had been able to help you more, Link," she said dejectedly. "All I did was sit on the sidelines while you risked your life to protect everyone."

Link shook his head. "Ilia, you did more than enough. You rescued Ralis and brought him to Castle Town, saving his life. You looked after the children in Kakariko when I couldn't be there for them. And without your help, Midna and I would never have found the last mirror fragment."

His friend smiled a little. "Thanks, Link. I just hate that I wasn't able to do much more than that, not with me losing my memory and all." Thinking back to that time when she didn't even know her own name made Ilia feel empty. It wasn't an experience she ever wanted to go through again.

"It would have been too dangerous for you anyway," Midna reasoned. "You might have gotten seriously hurt if you had come along with us."

Ilia raised an eyebrow to the shadow. "Too dangerous for me, you think? Link, let's show her just how helpless I can be. How about a little one-on-one?"

Midna chuckled at the foolish proposal but she stopped when she noticed the nervous look in the hero's eyes. She had seen Link fight creatures far larger than himself and take on a man with nearly godlike power without hesitation. So why was he so anxious about fighting a young girl from the country?

"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Ilia," Link said, keeping his gaze focused ahead.

A smirk popped onto Ilia's lips. "What's the matter, Oh Great Hero? Scared you'll lose? Whoa, Epona." Despite her master's wishes, the mare slowed to a halt. Ilia slid off the saddle and looked back to Link intently. Midna took physical form, deeply interested on what she was about to see.

The apprehension was plain on Link's face as he stared down at the two females. Reluctantly, he too dismounted from Epona's back and drew his Ordonian sword and shield. Midna was surprised when Ilia's hands dug underneath her white, sleeveless dress and came out holding two daggers, one long hunting knife and a shorter blade better suited for throwing. The way she held the small weapons and the strong stance she took told Midna that the farm girl was no stranger to combat.

Link made the first move, swinging horizontally with the flat of the blade facing forward. Midna expected for him to cleave the girl in half right there, but Ilia stepped out and into the attack, where she pivoted and blocked the sword with both knives. She then slashed at her opponent's face with the closer dagger with speed and precision that impressed the observing twili. Link retreated to evade the counterattack then returned with a quick, but non-lethal, stab. The girl twisted out of the way then made to cut at his wrist. The swordsman sensed her target and brought his arm back so that the incoming blade clashed with his own.

The two fighters continued their duel for longer than anyone could tell. Neither side seemed able to gain the advantage, although there were some close calls. Link had the benefit of superior strength, a longer weapon and a shield to defend his body. Ilia, on the other hand, was swift enough to dodge each and every one of the swordsman's attacks, having the mobility that Link's heavy weapons denied him. None of the skills Link used seemed to be successful on Ilia. She quickly backed away from shield bashes and kept up with his back slices effortlessly. The only technique he didn't try to use was the mortal draw as he did not want to risk killing his friend by accident.

Eventually the sparing partners both paused, visibly exhausted from their bout. Link offered that they end the fight with a draw, saying that Ilia had made her point. She accepted without a word, too busy huffing and puffing to speak. She was also swaying uncertainly. Ilia confessed that a slight headache she had sustained from the bulblin attack had flared up and was making her woozy, so Link suggested that she sit down. Midna found that she had been holding her breath and exhaled sharply. The twili walked right up to Ilia as she and Link sheathed their weapons.

"Wow..." she gasped. "Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" Ilia grinned proudly at her as she found a place in the dirt to rest.

"If you knew who her parents were, you'd understand," Link puffed, slumping onto the ground as well. When he didn't explain further, Ilia spoke up.

"My parents were both really into fighting, let's just say. My mother was an expert knife fighter, while my father was a champion in wrestling and hand-to-hand combat. Mother was famous in a few countries for her skills and had the respect of the gerudo. Father, on the other hand, had a reputation for beating gorons in a challenge of strength, even though he used iron boots to cheat."

Link and Midna stared at her in surprise. "You knew about that?" he asked.

Ilia gave him a crooked smile. "Link, please. You think I lived in the same house as my father all my life and never once tried to find out what he kept locked up in that chest in the back room? When I was ten, I stole his keys while he was asleep and discovered his so-called secret. Father made me promise never to tell anyone after that."

"Until now," Midna pointed out.

"I figured that you probably knew already, seeing as how Link did go to Father to learn how to deal with the gorons. If Father could be pushed around by them so easily, I don't imagine someone as little as Link could beat a goron without help."

"Hey!" Link protested, face burning red.

Ilia snickered at him along with Midna. "Anyway, my parents met at a mixed tournament and won in their separate divisions. At the party afterwards, they met and developed a mutual respect for each other. They travelled around together for a time after that and eventually they fell in love. They went back to my father's home village when they found out my mother was pregnant with me.

"While I was growing up, they tried to teach me everything they knew. I wasn't the son that Father was hoping for, but he still taught me some martial arts moves that didn't rely on strength. What I loved most was when I trained with Mother. The way she always held herself made her my idol."

Ilia's expression turned sad. "Then she died when I was thirteen. I cried for weeks but afterwards I started practicing my knife-work on my own. I wanted to be like my mother so much that I worked endlessly to become as great as she was."

"That was about the same time that Rusl started training me," Link spoke up. "The two of us got a lot better by fighting one another. It was actually pretty humbling the way she always kicked my butt at the start. I reckon she could have been the hero if the goddesses hadn't already picked me before Ilia was born."

Midna grinned at the thought of him repeatedly getting thrown into the dirt by a little girl. "Looks like that's another example of your dumb luck." Link shrugged awkwardly as she and Ilia laughed together.

A sudden cold breeze caused the three companions to shiver and take notice of the orange sky above them. Already the sounds of the night came to life as crickets and owls stirred from their hiding places. Midna stared up at the sunset longer than the others, her eyes glistening with what Link assumed was homesickness. He knew that it reminded her of the eternal cloak of Twilight that she had known all her life. It filled him once again with the guilt of his previous actions. Maybe getting banished from Hyrule was his divine punishment. Now he fully understood how she must feel.

"We should make camp," he suggested at last. "We've still got a ways to go until we reach the border so we'll rest now and wait until morning." Midna snapped out of her trance and nodded meekly.

Link started a fire, making full use of his new abilities, and began working on dinner. Fortunately this time round they had better supplies so the food was far more satisfying. A hearty stew filled their bellies and boosted their morale after a day of heartbreak for all. Link let out a prolonged yawn and with a crack of magic, a small canvas tent appeared on the grass already pitched. Ilia glanced at the tiny shelter and grimaced.

"Ummm, guys?" she began nervously. "I didn't pack a tent before we left Ordon. I was in such a hurry to get out of there that I didn't even think about it."

Link peeked into the shelter's interior. "You could share with us but it's going to be really cramped. This thing was barely big enough for me and Midna to sleep in together, and she wasn't even her full size back then." He looked at the two girls uneasily. "Plus, this could be kind of awkward."

The group pondered the problem until an idea popped into Midna's head. "I know," the twili said as she brought out a black crystal. Link flinched at the sight of the shard and was about to object, but Midna had already driven the dark crystal into his forehead. Pain wracked his entire body as bones shifted and fur sprouted from his skin. Falling forwards onto all fours, Link stood back up to find himself in the form of a shaggy black wolf.

"There," Midna grinned. "Now it's just two girls and one mangy animal, nothing awkward about it." The blue-eyed beast glared up at her whilst Ilia stared in amazement.

"Wow," she gasped. "I almost didn't believe you when you said you can turn into a beast. And just when I thought I've seen everything." Ilia then turned to Midna. "So how does this help?"

The twili broke out into an impish grin. "Well the two of us can share the tent and that leaves Link with two choices; he can either stay out here or he can spend the night as a pillow."

"Well he can keep Epona company if he wants," Ilia said as she went to throw a rough blanket over the horse. The girl then proceeded to hobble Epona with a piece of rope to ensure she wouldn't wander, not that she would of course.

"That sounds fair," Midna nodded. "But in my opinion, there's nothing softer than a fluffy wolf pelt under my head. A lady has to have some luxury." She knelt down to scratch Link under the chin. Despite his annoyance, the wolf enjoyed the pleasant treatment.

Ilia watched them with light amusement. She could see it in their eyes how much affection they had for one another. It reminded her of the way that her parents used to stare at each other when she was little. Never had Ilia seen a stranger pair before, yet they seemed to click together like pieces of a mismatched puzzle. She felt a pang of jealousy in her chest. Ilia shook her head to drive out the thought. '_Where did that come from?_' she wondered.

It appeared as though Link preferred not to spend the night outside as the wolf was the first to enter the tent. He positioned himself sideways at the very back of the structure and lied down onto his stomach. Midna followed after the beast and rested her head next to his. Ilia made herself comfortable on the wolf's back next to the twili. His thick black fur was soft and warm against her cheek. Midna muttered goodnight to her companions but sleep had already claimed the blonde-haired farm girl.

* * *

**Ilia's fighting ability is another interesting idea created by Magic Basher. For the purposes of my take on the story, I didn't want Ilia to be the helpless maiden and wanted her to be a stronger character, so I kept the idea.**

**Originally I had two separate ideas for how this story could go and I wanted to do both as individual stories. The alternative would have left Link and Midna to live happily in Hyrule and was intended for a more mature audience. It's a pity that I no longer intend to work on that version due to setbacks and loss of interest, especially since it contained my first shot at a lemon scene in it. I also feel disappointed because in that version, Midna would have outright chose Link over her duties in the Mirror Chamber, which I have only ever seen done in few other stories. We need more stories like that, in my personal view.**


	5. Chapter 5: Farewell Hyrule

**This will be the last chapter containing any material from the original piece. After this, everything will be completely my work. I will warn you now that there will be occasional violence in later chapters and little of it is going to be pretty.**

**A bit thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favorited. DuelingDoge, although I know the reference you're trying to make, I don't understand your intended point. Could you please specify via PM?**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Farewell Hyrule**

Link was the first to awake the following morning. It was to be expected, as the wolf had been used as a pillow by his friends. He could feel every movement as Midna and Ilia tossed and turned in their deep slumber. Finally, Link could no longer stand the discomfort and gave the twili woman a gentle nudge with his muzzle.

"Huh?" Midna mumbled, groggy from sleep. She looked at Link and smiled. "Hello, my little wolf." She pecked him on his furry head with s brief kiss. "Did you sleep well?" The twili grinned as the wolf's mild glare told that he hadn't.

Midna sat up and stretched as much as she could within the confined space of the tent. She glanced back through the corner of her eye. "Aren't you getting up?" The beast tilted his head towards Ilia, still oblivious to the world. The twili quickly understood the meaning behind his message and began shaking the other girl on the arm.

Ilia refused to rouse at first but the insistent disturbance woke her in the end. "What's going on?" the human girl murmured tiredly.

"Link wants to get up," Midna answered. The corner of her mouth pulled up into a smirk.

"Then let him," Ilia grumbled. She snuggled deeper into the wolf's fur.

A light chuckle erupted from the twili. "He can't while you're using him as a pillow." Link whined in agreement.

Ilia's eyes snapped open as she shot up into sitting position. "Oh goddesses! I'm so sorry, Link."

The wolf accepted the apology with a rumble then pushed passed the girls as he exited the tent. The infinite extra space provided by stepping outside was a tremendous relief after such an uncomfortable night. Emerging from the tent behind him, Midna crouched down and placed her hand atop his head. With a yelp from Link, the shadow crystal surfaced from his scalp and in seconds beast transformed into man again. The swordsman stretched his newly-restored form, joints cracking as he rolled the stiffness out of his shoulders and spine.

"That's better," he said to no one in particular. Ilia was the last to step out from the tent, she too stretching her cramped muscles. Having served its purpose, the shelter vanished with a crack of Midna's magic.

Link sauntered towards a lone tree in the distance, mentioning having to 'answer the call of nature', leaving the two girls alone to prepare breakfast. The silence between them was awkward to say the least. As their porridge sat to boil over the fire, Ilia finally decided to speak.

"Midna," she began quietly. "I want to say I'm sorry."

Midna raised her brow in genuine surprise. "For what?"

The country girl twisted her mouth for a few moments, wondering if it would have been better if she had said nothing. "Well... I guess for imposing myself on you and Link. The two of you obviously share something special, and I feel as though I'm intruding on that."

Midna didn't answer immediately. Instead, she focused on her current task of stirring their breakfast, a habit she had developed whenever she felt uncomfortable with a conversation with Link. She knew though that this was not a subject she should avoid lest it fester into a bigger problem. "I'll admit it's not what we're used to. We've spent so long alone together that it's a little odd having someone else there. But don't feel as though you're in the way. You had the right to chose to come with us and Link wants you around, so you're fine."

Ilia studied the twili, taking notice of the reservation in her tone and posture. "Are you fine with it, though?" Midna recoiled internally.

"I understand if you're not," the Ilia continued. "I mean if I was in your place then I wouldn't be too happy with another girl tagging along. I understand if I make you feel uncomfortable."

The twili averted her gaze, ill at ease from how close to home Ilia's words were. "You've known him for a lot longer than I have," Midna found herself confessing.

"That just means we're good friends, that's all," Ilia replied. She smiled when the twili looked towards her. "I know what you're thinking. No, I don't love Link. Not in the same way you do. I've been friends with him for as long as I can remember, but I never saw him as more than an older brother." The blonde girl leaned in close. "Although, Link once thought a little bit differently. A few years back he told me that he had feelings for me but I turned him down. I heard from Colin that he took it pretty hard afterwards. Didn't leave his house for days."

A mischievous grin formed on Midna's face as she imagined the scene of the famous hero weeping like a little girl, not that she hadn't seen him shed a tear or two before when the pressures of his mission became too much for him. "So why did you say no?"

"Honestly, Link is a great person but he isn't my type. Not even close. He does stupid stunts without thinking, gets himself injured as a result, and to add to that, he doesn't look after Epona properly."

Midna blinked. "I get where you're coming from with the first two points. Although, since we started travelling Link's grown up a lot. He can still be reckless, but he now knows where to draw the line. I think he takes good care of Epona, though. I haven't seen anything wrong with how he treats her."

Ilia threw her hands up in the air. "Then you're as bad as he is. You two are a match made in heaven. It's lucky for Epona that I came along otherwise who knows what might happen to her."

Midna decided to let the criticism pass. "So how are things between you now? Obviously, you must have hurt him pretty badly at the time."

A look of guilt flickered on Ilia's face. "We spent a bit of time avoiding each other afterwards, but eventually Link got over it. Now things are normal with us again and we don't talk about it anymore. I can tell he's completely crazy about you, though. He looks at you in a way I've never seen him do before. I'm glad he finally found someone like you, Midna. He deserves it, you both do."

"Thanks," Midna smiled, feeling the earlier tension dissipate. "There's one thing I don't understand. You said you don't love Link, but you've gone and left everything you know behind for him. Why?"

Ilia looked towards the ground and began picking at blades of grass. "One reason's because I thought it wasn't fair that Link was punished for something that wasn't technically wrong. Like I said, Link's like an older brother to me, so he's as good as family.

"There's also another reason... You remember that I told you how my parents met?" Midna nodded. "I always loved the stories they told me of their travels. They visit many incredible places and met people who sounded amazing. I always had this dream of one day seeing the world myself and having my own adventure. I guess I saw this as a chance to do just that."

"Wow," Midna whistled. "I never would've picked you as the adventurous type. You're definitely not what you seem."

Ilia smiled. "Unlike you," she replied sarcastically. "I'd never think you were a princess. You're way too much of a smart-alack."

"That's what makes it fun," the twili grinned. "I loved screwing with people's heads back home. They take me way too seriously and get all confused when I'm making a joke. Pranks are the best."

They laughed together and it was a good feeling. "You know, I'm kind of glad you've come along," Midna said. "Messing with Link is going to so much better now."

Ilia grinned. "I've got a feeling we're going to be good friends."

It was then when Link returned from his business, looking refreshed and relieved. He glanced at his companions' smiles with interest. "Did I miss anything?"

The girls looked at one another then shook their heads in unison. "Not really," Midna smirked, "unless you like talking about beauty treatments and the latest fashions."

Link made a face and waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind then." Ilia cupped her mouth to stifle a giggle. The male sat down by the fire and stared hungrily at the boiling, white mixture in the cooking pot. Judging that breakfast was done, Link began filling wooden bowls and passing them around, making sure to sneak himself a larger portion.

* * *

As the sun travelled across the sky, the grassy field the companions rode on changed to rocky terrain. Death Mountain pierced the clouds in the distance and appeared to grow larger as they drew closer. Taking the mountain road out of Hyrule was the logical choice, Link reasoned. The closest route out from Ordon would have been south. However, the twisting path of the Lost Woods that grew that way would make for a longer journey, provided they ever made it to the other side. West would have taken them through the harsh desert, which they were less than prepared for. The north was rife with snowstorms for the most part of the year, leaving the east as the most favourable option.

Kakariko Village greeted them around the corner. The dusty town felt abandoned with its single lonely street and empty houses, just as it had when Link first visited it. The gorons of Death Mountain were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had returned to their homes with the threat of monsters gone. It was quiet without the cheerful laughing of the Ordonian children at play. Link's chest tightened as he was reminded that he would never seem them again, or hear them laugh. The only sound to be heard now was the clucking of roaming cuccoos and the tricking of water flowing into the village's spirit spring.

Link and the girls found one goron sitting behind the counter of Malo Mart, apparently replacing young Malo as the new shopkeeper. They purchased a new tent at a more than reasonable price, giving Link relief of never having to relive the previous night. They also bought more food supplies for a longer journey since they were uncertain when they would come across another town. Link held up his wallet and felt concerned about its sudden lightness. Buying Midna's sword and Ilia's tent had taken a large chunk out of his savings. All he had left at the moment was a purple rupee, a red one and a handful of greens. They would certainly need to find a way to make more money if their journey became prolonged.

"Link! Ilia!" a small voice called as they left the store. A dark-haired girl of the age of twelve came running from the house by the spring. She beamed excitedly as she crashed right into Link's legs, binding them with a hug.

"Hello Luda. How are you?" he asked her, smiling.

Luda released him and stepped back a pace. "I'm fine, but since Talo and the other kids left, it's been kind of lonely here. Now it's just me, Father, and old Barnes. What are you doing here?"

Link looked at his companions before answering. "We're... just passing through. We only stopped for supplies."

The child cast her eyes down in disappointment. "Oh... Father would like to see you before you go, do you have time?" she asked hopefully.

Link mulled the offer over. It would be nice to say hello to Renado one last time, but a part of him didn't want any more painful goodbyes. Ilia replied before he had the chance to decline. "Of course," she said.

The little girl smiled broadly then led the trio to her home. Inside they found the tall figure of Renado with his characteristic long, black hair and colourful robes. The shaman sat at the table drinking herbal tea from a clay mug, apparently lost in a scroll yellowed with age. The smell of burning incense assaulted Link's nose, making his eyes water slightly. Renado quickly took notice of his guests and rolled the manuscript into a tight cylinder.

"Link, Ilia, this is a welcome surprise," the shaman greeted in a deep voice. He looked at Midna with interest. "Who is your friend, might I ask?"

"My name is Midna," the twili replied politely. "It's nice to meet you."

Renado smiled. "The pleasure is mine. I am Renado, shaman of this village." He beckoned the visitors over. "Come, sit. I sent Luda out earlier to collect some herbs for lunch. Did you get them, dear?"

His daughter glanced at the floor. "Umm, no. I got distracted when I saw Link and the others. I'll go get them now." Luda ran out the door, leaving the adults alone to talk.

As he lowered himself into an empty chair, Link saw the shaman staring at him with concern. "Before you say anything," Link said just before Renado opened his mouth, "I'm not injured. I only look like this because I choose to."

Renado blinked and studied the warrior's shadow markings. "I see. For a moment I believed you burned yourself fighting a dragon. Forgive me. I have treated a number of unusual wounds for you since we first met so I assumed the worst."

Link only nodded in response. During his adventure with Midna, the hero had found himself in many dangerous situations, a number of which he managed to get hurt one way or another. Sometimes it was a series of minor scratches and bruises, while other times he received more severe ailments including poison, arrow wounds and at one time a broken wrist. Renado fixed him up using his vast healing knowledge every time Link returned to Kakariko alive, which wouldn't have been possible on several occasions without Midna's help.

"So tell me?" the shaman asked at last. "What brings you all out here? I would have thought you would have preferred to stay home in Ordon. How are the children? Luda misses them, I can tell."

Link, Midna and Ilia lowered their gazes. "The children are well," Link began. "Everyone was happy to be back with their families. As for this visit... we were actually on our way out of Hyrule and we stopped to resupply. We met Luda just as we were leaving and so we decided to say hello."

"You're leaving Hyrule? Why?" Renado asked, perplexed.

Link shifted in his seat and sighed. "You're bound to hear this sooner or later so I might as well tell you," he said reluctantly. "Mayor Bo kicked us out of the village yesterday so we're searching for somewhere new to live."

The shaman stared at the young man as though he had sprouted horns, jumped on the table and started river dancing to the sound of pipes. "Bo did _what_? By the goddesses, what has gotten into that man's head? Pardon my language. Why on Earth would he do such a thing?" Link gave a heavy sigh, Ilia fidgeted uncomfortably and Midna closed her eyes sullenly.

"It's a long story," Link started. "The first thing you need to know is that I didn't save Hyrule all on my own. Although no one else knew, Midna was with me the entire time, helping me every step of the way."

Renado glanced towards Midna, surprised. "Is that so? You never spoke of her before."

The twili shrugged. "Don't blame him. There were certain... circumstances... which meant that I needed to keep a low profile. Besides Princess Zelda, Link was the only person in Hyrule who knew I existed. The first time anyone else found out about me was afterwards when I returned to Ordon with Link."

"You see," Link took over once again, "Midna's not like other people you would know. People of her race have special... talents. They can use shadow magic."

"Shadow magic?" Renado interrupted, his tone peaking inquisitively. "You mean similar to the creatures that attacked Hyrule?"

"They're the same beings, but the twili had no control over their actions. They were victims in the crisis last year just as much as we were," Link replied, keeping his voice even. "Midna was able to hide in my shadow most of the time so while no one could see her, she was always there."

The shaman rubbed his chin. "I see. So how does this relate to Bo's behaviour?" He could see in the boy's expression that he was unwilling to speak. "As a man of the gods, it is not my place to pass judgement on the actions of others, only to listen and console if need be."

Link considered the encouragement for a minute then took a deep breath. "After what we went through together, Midna and I became quite close. Earlier this week, I asked her to teach me to use her magic. I knew that shadow magic can be used for good as well as evil and so I took an interest. It was fun learning at first, but when I started doing it in front of other people, things started to go downhill. The princess didn't approve of it and Bo was furious when he found out. Everybody was so upset from the invasion that I guess me using shadow magic made them nervous."

Renado leaned back in his chair. "Now it makes sense to me. I can understand Bo's reaction. I would imagine that many others would follow his mindset. Only Nayru's wisdom would know what that could lead to."

"I agree," Link replied. "That's why we're leaving Hyrule for somewhere where people won't be as likely to fear us."

"I hope that you do find such a place, Link." Renado nodded. "Perhaps if you use your abilities to help others, you may teach people to be more accepting. It won't be an easy task and I can't guarantee you will ever succeed, I warn you, but I am sure that you will find some happiness from it."

Link managed a small smile. "Thank you. I hope you're right."

The shaman turned his attention to Ilia, who seemed to be in a daze. "I can see leaving Ordon again has cut you deeply. You strongly disagree with your father's views, otherwise you would not be here."

The girl jumped slightly at the man's accuracy. "I do, but I hate that our last conversation was us arguing. I wish I could make things right with him, but I'm still too angry to speak to him right now, and we can't stay long enough for me to go back anyway."

"If you would like, I can pass on a message to your father for you when I see him next. I plan to visit Ordon with Luda in the near future so it's no trouble on my part."

Ilia nodded. "Thank you, Renado. I'll need a bit to write a proper letter though. A pen and paper as well if you have some to spare."

That moment, Luda returned from her errand with a mix of freshly picked plants in her arms. Not wishing to trouble the girl with their discussion, the adults dropped the matter for the time being. Renado and his daughter treated their guests to a delicious home-cooked lunch of roasted cuccoo. Savoring the succulent flavor, Link decided that this visit had been worthwhile after all. Learning he still had another friend eased his mind, and if Ilia could find herself some closure then he would be glad.

* * *

It had taken Ilia a full hour to compose her letter, as well as nearly half a dozen pieces of paper littering Renado's floor in scrunched balls. Link had been restless as he waited for his friend, especially since he imagined that he was being watched by the spirit of the spring. The swordsman had tried to distract himself by chatting with Midna and Renado, yet he couldn't shake away his unease. As soon as Ilia had given the shaman the envelope, Link was more than ready to move on.

"Will you come back soon?" Luda asked him. Link looked down at her from Epona's saddle despondently. He hadn't had the heart to tell the girl that they would never return and left it to her father to explain when the time was right.

"We'll see," he said.

Renado placed a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder then met the young man's eye. "Take care on your travels. The pass through the mountains can be treacherous without caution."

Link nodded. "We will. Thank you for everything you have done, Renado."

The shaman shook his head. "I should be the one thanking you. Your deeds have made us all safe once again and have allowed Hyrule to begin its recovery. I wish you peace in the future and hope you find what you seek."

"I appreciate it," Link replied.

"Take care of yourselves," Ilia said from the rear of the saddle. "You'll give Father my letter, right?"

"I promise I'll pass it on when I get the chance," Renado assured. "Rest easy, child. Even if you do not see eye to eye now, the love between you and your father will never change."

Ilia nodded her thanks. On the fringe of Link's vision, he could see his horse's shadow shifting as Midna's impatience grew. "Goodbye, Renado. Goodbye, Luda. We won't forget you."

"Farewell, my friends," Renado answered. Luda parroted her father but tilted her head, confused by the swordsman's words.

Link flicked Epona's reins and the mare began moving at a slow trot. Peering over his shoulder, he watched as their two friends shrank with distance. He steered right towards the incline that led into the mountains, where all sight of Kakariko vanished behind the outcropping. With heavy hearts, the small group faced forward to the road ahead.

The trail twisted like tracks left by a giant serpent. Sometimes the slope went up, sometimes it went down. Sometimes the travellers rode between two mountains, other times there was a sheer drop beside them with only a few feet of flat rock to walk on. Loose stones rolled under Epona's hooves treacherously yet the horse continued to make steady progress. At one point, a band of gorons spotted them from across a gorge, hailing the group as they passed by. Aside from that, there was no other sign of life to be seen. It really drove home how lonely their lives were going to be.

Two days passed since leaving Kakariko, though the travelers had yet to exit the mountain range. There almost seemed to be no end to bleak landscape surrounding them. Nights were frightfully cold and the group was lucky to find a place where the hard ground was level and allowed them to pitch their tents. They received little respite in their shelters as the unforgiving stone made sleep difficult and they didn't have enough blankets to keep the chill at bay. It was one of several essential items which Link cursed himself for forgetting to buy at Malo Mart. At least he had Midna to keep him warm. Ilia, sleeping separately now, did not have such a luxury and slept the worst of all, always waking up with dark rings around her eyes.

On the third day, the tall peaks gave way to expansive fields, a sea of green in welcome contrast to stark brown. Link could make out both the physical and psychological barriers that defined the national boarder. The land where the grass grew seemed a completely new world, full of countless places to go and see. Once upon a time, Link had never imagined stepping outside Ordon Village, yet now he was about to explore what lay beyond the kingdom of Hyrule. The anticipation excited him, that lust for adventure burning throughout his entire body. Link heard Ilia gasp from behind him and smiled at her awe. Even Midna rose from the shadows to take in the view.

"So this is it, isn't it?" the twili said. "This world is a lot larger than I thought." She wondered about the Twilight Realm, as well as the many places that had been under her rule that she would never get to see for herself. Midna shook the thoughts away. '_One world is enough for one lifetime_', she consoled.

Link only nodded to her statement and urged Epona down the hill. His eagerness faded as he felt a great weight crushing him, the pressure increasing with every step the horse took. He did his best to ignore the feeling but the effect was marginal. As Epona's last hoof touched down on lush grass, Link held his breath and shuddered. He craned his neck back to the mountains wistfully. Link also saw that Ilia was copying him and imagined her expression to be similar to his. Facing forward again, he found Midna floating before him in solid form. She placed her hands comfortingly around one of his. He forced a smile to reassure her, though the concern in her eyes remained. Midna retreated to the shadows once more and Link flicked Epona's reins, driving them onward again.

'_Farewell, Hyrule. I will miss you dearly,_' he thought with deep sadness. Link's mind turned to Rusl and Uli; to Colin and his little sister, Trish; to Talo, Malo and Beth; to Fado and the rest of Ordon. He saw the faces of Renado and Luda. He pictured his allies from Castle Town; the prominently-built barkeep, Telma; the elderly ex-army general, Auru; the feisty swordswoman, Ashei; and the young scholar, Shad. Finally his thoughts focused on the regal visage of Zelda. Link had made so many friends in his short life, each one having their own special place in his heart. Though he may never see or speak to any of them again, Link took comfort in the fact that he would always treasure the memories he shared with them all. His lips formed into a smile, a genuine one, as he urged Epona to a faster gait, racing towards a world of endless possibilities.

* * *

**Thanks to Scarlet Curls for pointing out the spelling and grammar errors in this chapter. If anyone sees more later on, could you please copy and paste the sentence and identify the mistake so that I can fix it more easily? Thank you.**

**Additional thanks to Icestar100 who picked out that Ilia's motives for leaving were confusing. I've modified the scene slightly in hopes that the problem is solved. This makes it the sixth time I've had to update this chapter in the last two days.**


	6. Chapter 6: A Desperate Plea

**Before we start the new chapter, I want to inform you that the Midna and Ilia section of the previous chapter has been edited due to a flaw. It's nothing major but does affect some of the context. Take a look if you read chapter 5 before 16/02/2014 (Sunday). Thanks again to Icestar100 for bringing the issue to my attention.**

**Just as a warning, this chapter can be a bit confronting.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Desperate Plea**

Midna's sword rang loudly as it deflected the incoming blade, the vibrations numbing her arm all the way to her shoulders. She countered with a double-handed cut to her opponent's midsection only for him to step back and let her attack pass him by. Her opponent lunged forward so and Midna swung her sword to parry. She believed she had knocked the attacker off balance but was surprised when his foot lashed out and kicked her in the stomach. Midna went reeling back and landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

"You know, you should go easy on me," she grumbled when her breath returned. Her body ached from the beating it had recently received.

"Sure. Just like you do for me," Link tutted with a broad grin. "I've still got dirt in my mouth from when you hit me with that concussion blast the other day."

Midna scoffed. "It's not my fault if you can't make a barrier quickly."

Link's looked at her steadily. "And it's not my fault if you let me kick you in the gut. If I don't go all out then you'll never learn how to defend yourself properly. So suck it up, princess." He offered a hand to the twili but only received a glare in response.

"He's right, Midna." Ilia said from the side, having watched the duel critically. The country girl rose from the rock she sat on and walked towards the couple. "You need to be used to dealing with fighting someone who's out to kill you, otherwise you'll panic and make it a lot easier for them." She helped Midna regain her footing and met the other woman's eye.

"You did really well with handling that last stab," Ilia praised. "One thing you could have done with Link's kick is use that flowing movement I showed you." The girl planted her feet wide, one foot forward with the other back like at opposite corners of a square. "Remember? Share your weight between both legs then shift it to the front leg when the attack comes." Ilia then twisted on the front foot so that she was now facing sideways. "Then you pivot to get off the line. Be sure to really drive your hips in to get out of the way quicker. Give it another try. Just do the kick one more time, Link."

Midna huffed but took the wide stance as instructed. Link spun and launched another sideways kick aimed right at her middle. Midna performed Ilia's body movement and was amazed at how the limb sped harmlessly past her. The move required minimal effort yet Midna was able to avoid a whole heap of pain. Perhaps her friends really knew what they were talking about.

Ilia grinned approvingly. "Good. Now you could've taken that a bit further with a counterattack like this. Link, kick me." The swordsman grimaced briefly but complied without protest. Ilia promptly dodged Link's attack and grabbed at his leg with one hand, holding him up. In one fluid motion, she drew one of her knives and stabbed downwards until the tip hovered mere millimetres above his thigh.

"See? I could have crippled Link just now and make him an easier opponent. In your case, you could hack his leg off if you want to." Ilia gave Midna an innocent smile that unnerved the twili. While Link kept his face neutral, Midna could see the sheer terror in his eyes. Ilia was a sweet person normally, but the number of different ways that she knew how to kill or incapacitate an armed enemy put her on the Twilight Princess' short list of people she should_ never_ irritate.

Ilia released Link with a gentle shove, leaving him sprawling on the ground while the girls laughed at his expense. He shot them an indignant glare and picked himself. As he and Midna prepared for another bout, he stopped and stared into the distance. "Hey guys, hold up."

Midna raised her brow. "What's the matter? Did you sprain yourself and now have to back out? Nice try, sweetheart, but you're not getting off that easy. I've got some payback to give."

He shook his head and pointed. His companions followed his gaze to a pillar of black smoke billowing in the distance. Midna first assumed that it was coming from a campfire, although there seemed to be too much smoke for that. The cloud was too dark, too thick for such a small source of flame. Whatever was burning, it was something larger than a few logs and kindling.

"Come on," Link said. "Let's check it out."

* * *

What they found was no campfire. A small area of the plains was enclosed by a wooden fence. Half-grown crops grew in various patches of dirt, some of which had been trampled or were currently burning. In the centre of the farm stood a one-story house engulfed in roaring flames. The scene alarmed Link, his eyes darting all around for any sign of survivors or whoever may have been responsible. The homestead was devoid of people, and any animals that might have lived there had run off earlier frightened by the inferno.

The roof cracked loudly and sank down on itself slightly. Something crashed inside the house and a high-pitched scream tore through the air. Link stiffened at the sound and drove Epona towards the burning structure. Leaping from the saddle a few meters away, the warrior broke into a run. He stopped just before the door and quickly assessed the situation. The entrance was still stable but was cut off by flames that rose as high as his waist. Another creak from the roof told Link that the person trapped inside didn't have much time before the house completely collapsed.

He turned to Ilia and pulled out his gale boomerang; a white, feather-shaped item blessed with the power of the winds. "Take this and help put out the fire," he told her. The tone he bore was firm and authoritative.

The girl blinked at him. "What? How?" she stammered, her hands automatically taking the magical item.

"Focus on the flames and throw," Link answered. He turned to Midna, who nodded him in silent confirmation.

Link faced the house again and placed his hands out. Black energy shot forward from his fingertips and blanketed the fire in the doorway. It swallowed the orange tongues and extinguished them, depriving them of the oxygen they needed for fuel. Link rushed into the house and was met by a tremendous wave of heat. A normal man would have been deterred by the searing temperature but Link had fought through boiling volcanoes and scorching deserts. It would take more than this to stop him.

He searched around for the house's occupant but the smoke was too thick to see through. It filled his nose and mouth, burning his lungs and causing him to cough violently. His ears heard a mystical humming then the whoosh of a mighty gust. Wind blew powerfully all around Link, clearing the air and allowing him to breathe again. He turned and gave Ilia a nod of thanks then shouted above the fire's crackling.

"Hello?! Is anybody in here?!" No one replied but he did hear more coughing coming from one of the other rooms. He gestured to Ilia and she threw the boomerang hard. When the smoke dispersed, Link ran in and scanned all over. There under a fallen beam, he saw a small girl coughing and curled up in a ball with fear. Link extinguished more flames and crouched down to the frightened child. He saw that she was clutching desperately at a stuffed toy rabbit covered in as much soot as she was.

"It's okay," he told her reassuringly. "We're going to get you out of here." The girl only stared at him with wide, tear-streaked eyes, not making any movement. Above him the roof groaned low and deep as it began to collapse on top of them.

"Link!" he heard Midna scream. The twili shot a blast of magic at the falling timber, blowing it to pieces. Link created a shaded shield of magic around him and the girl, protecting them from the embers and debris. _'Can't make a barrier quickly, she says,'_ he grumbled mentally.

Link dispelled the barrier and reached for the child. Pulling her safely towards him, Link stood up and carried her out of the house. Midna and Ilia made a sweep for other survivors but met him outside without finding any. The three set to work to put out the rest of the blaze but when they had, all that remained was a blackened skeleton of the building. The roof gave one long final creak before the damaged support beams gave out.

As Ilia tried to comfort the weeping child, Link and Midna searched the house again. Most of the interior had been reduced to ash with nothing untouched by the disaster. Two bodies lay half-buried in what used to be the living room. Link determined the victims to be the girl's parents, which struck a chord in his heart. Blood on the man's jacket and lacerations on the woman's throat told him that it wasn't the fire that had killed them. These people had been murdered. Link trembled in fury. How someone could commit such a horrible act was beyond him.

He and Midna returned to Ilia. All she was able to get from the child was that her name was Ana and that she and her parents _had_ lived on the farm together. Ana was still crying inconsolably in Ilia's arms. She squeezed her rabbit in a crushing embrace, her tears washing the filth away to reveal its normally cream color underneath. The girl herself had straight, shoulder-length brown hair dirty with ash and couldn't have been much older than four or five. That only served to build Link's rage further.

The swordsman looked around the field, eyes scouting the ground. Indentations in the earth took his interest and appeared to be footprints. Link saw prints of both men and horses, at least four sets of each. The tracks led away from the house in two different directions, one coming in and the other going out. and appeared fresh. Link analysed the evidence and attempted to piece together what had happened. His guess was that the riders came to house and killed Ana's parents but left the girl unharmed. Perhaps she hid from the men and escaped their notice. The killers then must have set the house alight to destroy all proof of the crime and rode off. There was only one thing Link felt he needed to know. He walked up to the little girl and knelt down.

"Ana..." he said, keeping his voice low and gentle, "some people came to your house earlier, is that right?" The child stared at him without speaking a word. Link repeated his question and she gave a tiny nod.

"Did you recognize them?" Ana shook her head then buried her face in Ilia's shirt, her body racking as she started crying again.

Link stood straight up and stormed off. As he passed by Midna, he reached out with his mind and plucked the shadow crystal from her inventory. The twili yelled out in surprise more than annoyance as Link grabbed the shard in his hand. He shifted into his wolf form and began sniffing at the mass of footprints. Just as he had assessed, there were eight individual scents; four men and their mounts. Three of the men had gone inside the house while one had stayed to keep lookout, he supposed. With a deep growl, Link followed the trail and raced away from the farm. Midna called his name yet the wolf failed to hear her.

Grass flew under the hunter's paws in a blur. Tracking down the bandits wasn't difficult for Link's keen senses. After leaving the property, the group had moved in a straight line. Trampled grass marked out the path clearly so Link was able to concentrate on running, only pausing from time to time to check his bearings with his nose. He stumbled upon an abandoned campsite, possibly where the wolf's quarry had stopped for a break. A pile of horse droppings smelled fresh with flies already feasting in a thick swarm.

Another minute of running and Link could hear the beating of hooves. In one more, he could make out four horses moving side by side at a casual pace. Each animal was burdened with bloated saddlebags, some of which jingled with the sound of clinking coins. The men looked as though they were talking so the wolf pulled back to listen where his approach wouldn't be heard.

"We sure did a number on that farmer's place, eh Harris?" one of them said. Link's eyes narrowed.

"You bet. And we got a pretty good score too," the head of the group, apparently Harris, guffawed.

Another bandit scratched at his balding scalp. "Still got a feeling we missed something."

'_You're right,_' the wolf thought darkly. '_You did miss something; a little girl named Ana, whose family and home have both been taken away from her._'

Harris waved his hand dismissively. "We don't have enough space to carry anything else. Any more loot would just slow us down."

The fourth member of the group sounded more nervous. "Did we really have to kill them, but? I thought the plan was just to rob the couple and go."

"The guy had what was coming to him," the first speaker answered. "His fault for trying to be a hero. Plus that cow wouldn't stop screaming. Had to do something to shut her up. At least I wasn't the dimwit who torched the place." He looked his quivering comrade in accusation.

"Oh come on, I panicked okay? I was just trying to cover our tracks in case someone found out."

"Well someone's bound to find out now with that smoke signal you started," Harris growled. "Doesn't matter though, there's no one around for miles to see it so we should be safe." They all muttered in assertion except for the beast who was thinking of how wrong they were.

Link dashed from cover, making a beeline for the bald man at the rear of the group. Before any of the outlaws were aware of him, the wolf pounced at the rider's leg and dragged him screaming off of his horse. In quick succession, Link jumped at the fallen bandit's neck and snapped it with his teeth. The horses whinnied in fear and bucked, throwing the other men to the ground before galloping away. Only Harris remained in his saddle, skilfully holding on as he worked to calm his horse.

One of the bandits picked himself up and glared at the wolf with hatred. He drew the battered cudgel from his belt and swung it menacingly. "Right, I'll kill you for that, you filthy mutt!" Before the man could take a step forward, black spikes rose from Link's shadow and rushed towards his attacker, impaling him in multiple places and killing him instantly. The dark spears returned to the wolf's shadow as the last two criminals stared at him in shock and horror.

"Cripes, Harris!" the nervous one cried. "It's a demon hound, gods have mercy! It's here to kill us for what we did!"

Harris shot him a look then studied the strange animal. "I don't care if it's a demon or whatever," he said, hand going for his bow. "If it looks like a dog, it can die like a dog. Now go get it."

The lead bandit reached down and shoved his ally forward. The frightened man glanced back at his leader then rushed at Link, drawing a crude sword. The wolf dodged the slash then leaped at his enemy. Link's jaws tore out the bandit's throat, silencing him. With the metallic taste of warm blood in his mouth, Link turned to face his final opponent, who glowered down at him from his horse with a mix of hate, caution and awe. The outlaw aimed an arrow at the wolf and fired. The arrow sailed through the air with a hiss only to clatter off of the barrier Link raised at the last second.

The two glared at one another in a stalemate. The outlaw had another arrow notched but was unwilling to release it with the beast's strange protection in effect. Link growled in annoyance. With his foe sitting on top of a horse, the only practical way Link could attack would be to use magic, however that would mean lowering his shield in order to do so. That would leave him vulnerable to the man's arrow and at close range, dodging was out of the question. Already Link could feel the strain of maintaining the barrier. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it up.

"Link!" he heard someone shout. The wolf's head turned to find Midna galloping towards them on Epona. In his peripheral vision, he saw that the bandit had turned to the source of the noise as well. Link took advantage of the distraction and dropped his shield. Shadows leaped from his feet and punched through the man's chest, knocking him from his horse. The animal gave a terrified cry and dashed away from the predator, trampling over one of the other bodies on its way.

Midna finally caught up to him and dismounted Epona. She looked around at the bloodied corpses then to the wolf. "Link... Goddesses, what have you done?"

Link took in the scene around him and felt his blood run cold. In his rage, the wolf relished the moment as he ended the lives of the four murderers. Now as the fog in his mind cleared, Link only felt hollow. He thought he was serving justice yet he had only brought more death. Midna placed her hand on the wolf and extracted the shadow crystal from his body.

"I'm sorry," Link whispered, hanging his head shamefully. "They killed them. They killed the kid's parents. I was just so angry... I just couldn't let them get away with what they did."

"They deserved what they got, but this isn't right, Link" Midna said quietly. "I might not know as much about fighting than you but I know there's a difference between killing justly and murdering someone. This isn't like you."

"I know. I'm so sorry." Midna looked at him with sorrow. It was plain to her that something from the farmhouse had struck him at a personal level. The twili pulled her love into her arms and comforted him.

"It's okay, Link," Midna said. She kissed him on the head. "I understand." The two of them stood there for longer than either of them could tell. Finally, Link broke the embrace and turned to his handiwork. He inspected each of the bandits and stored away their weapons and valuables. Since their owners had no more use for them, Link figured they may as well sell the items to get some more money.

On their way back to the farm, luck shone on them as they happened upon one of the bandits' lost horses, a black-coated draught. The animal was still distressed and evaded the couple as they approached, but eventually Link's persistence allowed him to calm the horse enough to tie him to the back of Epona's saddle. The horse's bags held an amount of travelling supplies as well as a few extra blankets. One bag contained bronze and silver coins in addition to a handful of gold pieces. It wasn't the currency that Link was accustomed too but money was money. When they reunited with Ilia they found Ana sleeping in her arms, supposedly worn out from her ordeal. Ilia looked towards her companions as they approached and glared dangerously in Link's direction.

"Where the hell did you run off to?" she hissed so as not to wake the girl. "You're very lucky that Ana wasn't looking when you transformed. Do you really think that after what she's just been through she needs to be scared out of her wits by a wild animal? What in Din's name were you thinking?"

Link averted his gaze, instead staring at a trampled stalk of wheat. "I went after the bandits and killed them."

Ilia studied his expression for a moment and sighed heavily. She looked down at Ana again. "At least she can rest easier now. Poor thing."

* * *

Link, Midna and Ilia spent the next few days visiting the nearby villages, searching for anyone who knew of any relatives Ana had left. A few people they spoke to told them that the family had moved over from a place which none knew the name of and kept mostly to their own. With no leads as to where Ana's family lived, Link felt a sense of hopelessness and worried for the girl's future.

The child had completely shut down after the fire. She refused to talk and getting her to eat was a challenge. All she ever did was clutch at her toy rabbit as though it was life itself. The deaths of her parents consumed her always even as she slept, judging by the fits the girl often experienced at night. Link could see a bit of himself in Ana. At a young age, he too had lost both his parents tragically. More than once he had tried to remember their faces but all he ever saw in his mind was Rusl and Uli, who had taken him in and raised him as their own. The couple had become his new mother and father, and after all these years it still felt alien to think that they were not actually related. But Ana... Who could possibly take care of her as Rusl and Uli had him?

"I'll look after her," Ilia announced as she watched Ana sleep. Link snapped out of his thoughts at the sudden statement. He had been staring out into the night through the window of the room they rented at an inn, trying to think of a solution to their immediate issue.

"Ilia, are you sure about this?" Midna said, concerned. "You have no idea what you're signing up for. The three of us are at a loss as to what we're going to do with ourselves, let alone a little girl."

Ilia looked at her reproachfully. "Where else is she going to go? We can't find anyone who knows her, and we can't just leave her on her own."

The twili threw up her hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm not saying we should abandon the kid. I'm just saying this is a decision that we need to consider carefully. If it turns out we can't handle it, we could do her more harm than good."

Link watched Ana as she grimaced from another nightmare. Her rabbit had been washed clean and now suffered the crushing hold inflicted by its tormented owner. Given how uncertain their circumstances were, raising an orphaned child they knew nothing about sounded irresponsible. However, there was no way he could just leave her with some person he didn't know, believe that they would look after her properly and walk away.

"Midna has a point, but so does Ilia. We can't just leave Ana, not now. We'll take her with us until we can work something out. I'm sure between the three of us we can manage."

Midna looked at him for a moment then with a sigh, she nodded. A small, sad smile appeared on Ilia's lips as she brushed a lock of brown hair out of Ana's face. "Don't worry, Ana," she whispered. "I promise I'll keep you safe."

* * *

**Yeah... First chapter in this story that's all mine and this is what I do.**


	7. Chapter 7: The People You Meet

For special reasons that shall remain my own, I have decided to post a double chapter this week. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The People You Meet**

"Come on, Ilia. It's not that difficult," Link taunted, grinning widely. Ilia glared up at him in annoyance, not at all impressed by the playful criticism.

"Will you shut it so I can concentrate?" she snapped. The sandy-haired warrior snickered at his friend's frustration but didn't speak another word.

Ilia closed her eyes and let out a calming breath. She then looked down at her hands in front of her, palms apart and facing each other, and furrowed her brow. Her entire body tensed as she focused her thoughts. A black spark crackled to life like miniature lightning between her fingertips. More sparks flew as a sphere of dark purple energy manifested itself and began to grow until it was the size of an apple. Ilia tried to maintain the shape and make it larger but after only a few seconds the strain became too much. The ball popped audibly and disappeared, sending out a small shockwave that made Ilia cringe. She groaned pitifully at another failed attempt at magic.

"Hey, that was better than the last one," Midna comforted with a smile. In truth the sphere had only been marginally larger than its predecessor. Nonetheless, a good teacher always praises any improvement of their student, no matter how minor.

Ilia looked at the twili wearily. "This is a lot harder than you guys make out."

"We'll call it quits for now," Midna decided. "You've been at this all day non-stop."

Ilia nodded at the proposal then walked over to her new horse, the black draught horse Link 'repossessed' from its previous owner, and removed a canteen from the saddlebag. Ilia drank her fill then fixed her gaze to study the animal. The stallion was a fine specimen and it seemed a shame to the horse lover that it had such a shady past. Ilia had decided to call him Chance, in the hopes that she will be able to give him a better life than with his previous master. She noted that Chance had yet to be gelded, so Ilia made sure to keep him and Epona separate whenever they made camp.

"I can't believe you're actually struggling with that, Ilia," Link smirked. "I was able to complete that exercise easy after twenty minutes. You've been at it for two days and still haven't gotten it." He knew he should be more sympathetic to his friend but he couldn't resist the urge to brag. Ilia had dominated Link countless times when they younger, and now he felt he deserved to enjoy the fact that he finally had a superior advantage over the knife-fighter.

It was all fun and games until Midna struck him in the behind with a rather painful spell. "The only reason why you mastered it so quickly is because you have a large mana reserve in you. Ilia doesn't and needs to build hers up like most other beginners, and that's going to take time and practice." Ilia smiled at Midna's support. She was also cheered up considerably by the high-pitched yelp Link made when he was hit.

Ilia had been watching Link's magic lessons with Midna for some time and curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. For the past few days, Midna had been instructing her as well upon the blonde girl's request. Unfortunately, Ilia lacked the same natural talent that Link demonstrated, so even the most basic of spells were a challenge for her. It was only because of her strong drive to succeed that Ilia kept going. That and the desire to one day pay Link back for his tormenting, preferably by digging a hole in the ground with his face. Still, the fact that she was able to conjure something pleased her, regardless of how small. How many people could say that they learned shadow magic from a princess from another world?

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed a presence right beside her. Looking down, Ilia found Ana standing close with a small hand clutching the older girl's shirt. The child had been with them for a couple of weeks now and only just seemed to be coming out of her trauma-induced shell. Though she still spoke little, Ana had developed an attachment to her new caretakers, particularly Ilia. She seemed to enjoy spending time with the horses as Ilia groomed them. It gave Ilia joy to see the young one smile as she brushed Chance's mane. Of course, Ana's time with the group also exposed her to the more unusual aspects of their lives. She had been frightened the first time Link transformed in front of her when he went out hunting, but with Ilia's reassurance she soon accepted it as part of the normal routine.

With a warm smile on her face, Ilia picked Ana up and lifted her onto Chance's saddle. Certain that the girl was not about to fall off, Ilia climbed up to sit behind her and took hold of the reins. Ana's little hands grabbed at the hanging section of the leather strap and pretended to be steering the horse as well. The cream colored rabbit, they had learned was named Snubbles, sat in the girl's lap with his paws also held to the reins as though it too was riding.

Ilia grinned at the adorable behavior. It allowed her to teach Ana how to ride and at the same time kept the girl entertained as they traveled. Ilia could remember doing the same thing with her mother when she was younger. Link and Midna mounted Epona and led the way forward. After half an hour's ride, they saw the telltale trails of smoke rising up from a village a few miles away. It had to be the first settlement they had come across in five days and they were in need to resupply.

* * *

They had underestimated the size of said settlement, finding it to be more of a small town than the little villages they had previously come across. The difference seemed to only be in size. The streets were unpaved and twisted around the many houses like tunnels in an ants' nest. Even a seasoned adventurer like Link had a hard time of keeping his bearings, and was without a clue as to where they could find the local general store. So disoriented and focused on finding some form of guidance was he that Link nearly ran over one of the townspeople.

"Woah! Hey, watch it!" cried out a man as he jumped back to avoid being trampled by Epona's hard hooves. With a start, Link yanked the horse's reins to bring her to a complete stop.

"Sorry," Link said meekly, a blush of embarrassment burning on his face. He could hear Midna giggling softly at his absentmindedness.

The man looked up at him with brilliant green eyes filled with annoyance. Link saw that he didn't appear to be much older than him. His chin and nose where both narrow and his chestnut hair was thick and curly, giving him a boyish appearance. He wore a simple fading blue jacket over a white shirt with brown trousers and boots. Around the young man's waist was a belt where several tools and pouches hung from. A tradesman if Link was to judge.

"It's fine," he replied in a calmer tone. "Just be more careful next time."

Link made an internal sigh, glad no harm had come from the near miss. "Again, I'm sorry. We were trying to find a shop but we're a bit lost."

The tradesman nodded in understanding. "The shop, eh? Yeah, I'm not that surprised that you can't find it. The people who built this town were idiots. Nothing here is where you think it should be. I take it you're not from around here?"

"That's right," Link confirmed. "My name's Link, this is Midna behind me, that's Ilia, and the kid is Ana. We originally came from Hyrule. Most of us, anyway."

"Hyrule? Think that name rings a bell. I'm Chris, it's nice to meet you." Chris flashed them a friendly grin. "I can take you to the shop if you want. It's not that far."

The travelers nodded their consent and the horses trotted after Chris along the winding road. The store was indeed only a short walk away and Link could have sworn that they had come across the street it was on at least once before. Identifying the building could have been more difficult since the wooden sign hanging above the door was faded beyond legibility. At least they were able to purchase more food at long last.

Upon request, Chris then guided them to the nearest inn. As they walked, the young tradesman asked many questions pertaining to life in Hyrule. There was much to tell about the quaint Ordon Village, the mighty gorons of the fiery Death Mountain, the cool waters of Zora's Domain, as well as the bustling Castle Town. Chris hung on to every word, intrigued as he was by the marvels his little town lacked.

In turn, the friends from Hyrule learned that Chris was a carpenter who worked alongside his father. The dark frown Chris made at his father's mention told Link that their relationship was currently not in good standing. Before any more could be said, the group had found themselves at a two-story inn called the Lazy Bokoblin. A sign above the door displayed a comical picture of a fat, pink monster sleeping with a bubble blowing out of its nose. Link and Ilia tied their horses in the little stable beside the main structure then joined the others inside.

The inn's interior was warm and noisy with the bar counter already reaching full capacity as the working day drew to a close. In the corner sat a man cranking the handle of a strange contraption. Lighthearted music spouted from the spinning horn attached to the main box, providing the night's entertainment. The two friends pushed their way past the growing crowd to the table where Midna and Ana sat with Chris. Given the late hour, Link invited the young carpenter to join them for a hot dinner, to which Chris cheerfully accepted.

"So where do you guys plan on going when you leave town?" Chris asked over a bowl of savory lamb stew.

Link exchanged glances with Midna and Ilia. Little Ana paid no attention to the adult's conversation, instead looking towards the man with the funny music box. "Honestly, we have no idea," Link replied. "The whole reason we're travelling is to find someplace for us to live peacefully."

"Why did you leave Hyrule in the first place? From what you've told me, it sounds pretty amazing."

The swordsman shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It is, but we're not exactly welcome there anymore. It's complicated."

"Has it got something to do with those marks of yours?" Chris asked, pointing at the shadows running up the warrior's cheek.

Link touched his right eye with his fingertips. Sometimes he forgot about the twili magic that blemished his skin. "It does, sort of."

Chris stared at him ponderously for half a minute before shaking his head. "Well I'm stumped. None of you seem like criminals to me, so I can't think of why you left. I mean when I first saw you earlier, I thought you were a wandering troupe." He scooped another spoonful of braised meat into his mouth, chewing slowly for a while before swallowing. "Since you're looking for a place to live, why not here in town? There's got to be at least somewhere you can stay."

Link mulled the proposition in his mind for a moment but Midna was already shaking her head. "This place is too confusing to get around in. I'd rather not get lost every time I step out my front door." Ilia nodded in agreement and Link found himself thinking along the same lines. While a disorderly layout may be fine for a small village like Ordon, in a larger town such as this it was just chaotic.

"We appreciate the offer, Chris," he said at last, "but we're going to have to say no." The carpenter looked disappointed though not in the least bit surprised.

A loud bang stole their attention as the front door was thrown open. A man with a thick, messy beard of dark hair entered the inn bellowing. "Chris? Where the hell is that damned boy?" He scanned the room with an angry frown until his eyes fell on the person he was looking for. The man made his way around the tables, stumbling in a way that told Link the man was drunk.

Before he could ask, Chris swore under his breath. "That's my dad." He reluctantly rose from his chair and walked to meet his father halfway through the inn.

"There you are," the older man growled, barely managing not to sway as he tried to stand tall. "Where the hell have you been? There's orders to fill back at the shop and you decide to go off lollygagging gods know where."

"We go over this every week. Today is my day off," Chris retorted. Frustration was clear in his tone. "If you're so concerned about work, maybe you should crawl out of bed before midday for once." Several of the patrons stared at the proceeding argument nervously. Others completely ignored it in favor of their half-empty mugs, seeming as though the feud was normal occurrence to them.

Chris's father gave a filthy glare in response. "Is that how you talk to me, after I've raised you; gave you a roof over your head; taught you skills to make a decent living? Show some damn respect, boy."

"Respect?" Chris almost laughed. "What for? I'm the one who does almost all of the work these days, and that's because you always have a hangover! That wouldn't be a problem if you weren't off your face all the time, like you are right now!"

The smack of flesh on flesh filled the room as Chris was struck by his father's fist. The young carpenter stumbled backwards into a table, causing the occupants' drinks to splash onto the wood. Ana gave a short, high-pitched scream as Ilia used her body to shield the child from the violence. Chris recovered from the strike and returned one of his own, catching the other man right in the mouth. The two continued to exchange blows as the innkeeper yelled furiously for them to stop.

Link stood up, deciding that things had already gone too far, and placed his body between the men to separate them. Chris had been easier to push back but his father attempted a swing at the swordsman. The drunk's punch was slow, making it ridiculously easy to block the attack with Link's sharp reflexes. The once-hero quickly countered with a punch to the man's jaw, sending him sprawling onto the floor. As the aging carpenter made to pick himself up, Link stood over him with a stern glare.

"Get out of here," he growled, pointing to the door. "I don't care where you go, just get out."

The man scowled up at Link, ready to tell him to buzz off and mind his own business. He thought better of it though when he looked into the youth's eyes. There was something about the stranger that sent a shiver down his spine. Was it the ominous dark markings on his face and arms, or was it the dangerous glint in his eyes that spoke of someone who has killed simply to survive? Either way, the drunkard knew he wanted nothing more to do with this person. He slowly got to his feet, grumbled something unintelligible and left the inn as fast as he was able.

The innkeeper watched him go and shook his head with a sad expression. "Ah, that Tony. Why must he cause so much trouble for good folk?"

Link led Chris back to his chair, whose cheekbone began darkening from burst blood vessels. Ilia looked at the injury with concern. "What was that about?" she asked.

Chris rubbed his face tentatively. "It's nothing you need to worry about. You shouldn't have gotten involved," he grumbled as he looked towards Link.

"And instead do what?" Link answered, "Just sit back and watch you and your father beat each other up? It probably isn't any of our business, but you shouldn't have to put up with that."

Chris turned away with a frown, one that Link believed to be more pensive than anything else. He picked up his glass, drained the last of his ale then stood to leave. "Thanks for the meal," he spoke in a flat tone. "It was nice meeting you all." The Hyruleans watched him go sullenly, none making any move to follow him.

After Chris had left, the innkeeper gave Link a pint on the house for breaking up the earlier fight. The ale tasted bland to the swordsman as his thoughts floated around the dispute. It bothered him that the bond between a father and his son could be so poor that the two would physically attack one another. Link and Rusl had fought countless times before, yet those had always been friendly sparring matches designed to develop the younger man's abilities. Never had there been the animosity such as what he had witnessed mere minutes ago. Something had obviously gone wrong between Chris and his father. As to what, Link could only fathom.

When Ana yawned and struggled to keep her head up Ilia took the girl up to put her to bed. Alone, Midna had tried several times to strike up a conversation with Link, but his dismal mood failed to keep any discussion alive for long. Submitting to the fact that nothing else of interest would happen that night, they retired to their room. Sleep had come slowly but eventually he was able to push the evening's events out of his mind.

The companions woke late the following morning. Though they had decided to leave after one night, there was no hurry to do so. Part of the decision to delay their departure had been made in hopes that they would get to see Chris again. It seemed unlikely though. The young carpenter had a life in this town, and probably wouldn't bother to visit a group of strangers he befriended the previous day.

The sun had reached its zenith when they finally resumed their journey. Though it hadn't been as difficult coming in, leaving the town took longer than it should have. Winding streets made it impossible to keep moving in one direction, requiring the group to change course and make a detour more than once. Returning to the open plains gave some relief now that they could regain their bearings.

Hoof beats and the sound of clattering broke the new silence yet neither Epona nor Chance had moved. A shout from behind drew their riders' attention where, to their surprise, Chris was galloping towards them. The horse he rode was spotted grey in color with a mane to match. Attached to the animal was a small, two-wheeled wagon covered by a heavy, brown tarp. From the noise coming from it, Link guessed that it was loaded with tools.

"I thought I was going to miss you," he said, relieved.

Link stared at the young man in disbelief. "Chris, what are you doing out here?"

"What does it look like?" came the answer. "I'm coming with you."

"What?!" Link exclaimed in unison with Midna and Ilia. "What about your job?" the swordsman asked. "What about your old man?"

Chris waved him off with a snort of disdain. "Hasn't been conscious since I went home last night. I thought about what you said back then and I've had it with the bastard. I'm done with taking his crap while I do everything for him."

Link looked to his friends, who appeared just as stunned as he was. He returned his gaze to Chris. "Are you really sure you want to come with us? We don't exactly have a plan on where we're going from here."

In answer, Chris gave him a wicked grin. "I'm sure. Something about you says adventure, and that's what I think I need right now."

Link studied the young man's eyes. They were filled with determination and eagerness. He doubted that he could dissuade the carpenter from coming along and expected him to follow regardless of what Link said. Link turned Epona around and glanced back at Chris through the corner of his eye. "Be careful what you wish for," he grinned. "I just hope you can keep up with that cart slowing you down." With a flick of the reins, Epona began dashing away. Surprised, Ilia and Chris spurred their mounts forward after them, struggling to catch up with the speeding mare.

* * *

The moon shone softly through the forest canopy. Although it provided little illumination, there was no arguing that it was a beautiful sight. Chris had spent his entire life in his hometown, so camping in the woods was a novel experience for him. The dark was riddled with noises of nocturnal animals. Every minute or so, a scratching from the bushes or an owl's hoot from the trees could be heard. It was completely unlike the quiet of the night Chris was so used to.

He didn't have a tent to sleep in, so instead he had succeeded in draping the tarp for his cart over a frame of thin branches. It would keep the worst of the weather off him, though there was no escape from the cold wind. Chris tried to sleep but was rudely disturbed every time something scurried past the campsite. Eventually he heard a new noise, one he did not recognize. At first he assumed it was the fire crackling, but then he remembered it had been put out when everyone went to bed. As quietly as he could, Chris crawled out of his makeshift shelter to investigate.

The campsite was arranged with the three tents circled around where the fire had once burned. Chris was no expert in camping but he did find it strange that when he returned earlier from collecting firewood, his new companions had already pitched their tents. He had only been gone for a couple of minutes and he was sure there was no way they should have been set up that quickly. Link and Midna shared the tent on the left. He had already assumed they were an item. Ilia and Ana slept in the one on the right. Their relationship he was less sure of. Perhaps they were sisters? Somehow he highly doubted that.

He could barely make out a dark outline in the night. It appeared human and seemed to be where the strange sound was coming from. Chris got to his feet and crept towards the shape. It didn't look as if it had noticed his approach, despite the soft snaps of twigs he clumsily stepped on. Suddenly Chris began to see a light, an odd purple light that also appeared somehow dark at the same time. As the light grew bigger, something in his mind took a guess as to what it was.

"What the..?" he exclaimed. The shadowy figure jumped at his voice and the purple light disappeared with a slight pop. Chris heard a curse as he identified the other being in the moonlight.

"Ilia? What the heck are you doing?" The girl sat rigid on a fallen log, staring at him with wide eyes. Chris got the impression that he had caught her doing something she didn't want him to know about.

"Chris?" she stammered in a hushed tone. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was trying to but then I heard something." He paused for a moment. "Seriously, what were you doing just now? It looked like... I don't know."

Ilia didn't answer immediately. He had to squint but Chris saw that her face was twisted by some internal debate. "I was... practicing," she said at last.

"Practicing what?"

Again there was no immediate answer. "Magic..." Ilia looked at him anxiously like a child waiting to be scolded.

Chris was dumbfounded. "Magic?" He never really believed in magic before. It was something you only heard of in stories. The young carpenter was usually one who followed the 'seeing is believing' ideology. After what he had just seen though, Chris guessed that he now had good reason to start believing.

"Yeah..." Ilia confirmed. "Well, shadow magic to be more accurate..."

He stared at her with a mix of emotions. Part of him was astounded that he had just witnessed real magic, while another part was riddled with trepidation. It was strange enough as it was but 'shadow magic' made it sound far more ominous. Ilia apparently saw his expression through the dim light.

"Don't look at me like that," she hissed. "I can tell what you're thinking but it's not that bad, it's just controlling shadows. It isn't like I can bring the dead back to life or anything like that. At least I don't think so."

Chris still had his reservations, although nothing about the pretty Hyrulean gave him cause to outright distrust her. He used his hand to find more of the log and sat down beside Ilia. "Where did you learn to do that?" he whispered.

Ilia looked towards where her two companions slept before speaking. She seemed to be developing a habit of delaying her responses. "Midna's sort of an expert in magic. She's been teaching me for a few days now but I'm not much good at it so far."

Chris's gaze flicked to the tent. He had thought there was something odd about the pale-skinned woman. "And Link..?"

"He's been learning for a while now. Big git's a whole lot better at it though," Ilia replied with an envious tone.

"Is this magic thing why you guys left Hyrule?" Chris knew he was jumping to conclusions but somehow it made some sense.

"There's more to it than that but yes," she said sadly. "My father was the mayor of our village, and he kicked Link and Midna out simply because they could use magic. Hyrule was attacked by shadow magicians last year so you can imagine why we had to leave."

Chris nodded in understanding. If his home had been attacked, he would have been anxious about someone hanging around who reminded him of the event. There was one thing he didn't quite get though. "You said you've only started learning magic a few days ago, but you've been travelling for weeks. That means you couldn't use magic back then, so why did you leave home with the others?"

A frown flickered on Ilia's face, making him feel as though he crossed some sort of line. "I had been thinking of leaving anyway so I could see the world like my parents had, but there was another more personal reason involved. Link's been my best friend for years, like a big brother, and I didn't agree with my father when he banished him. I thought it was completely out of order. After I yelled at Father for what he did, I packed my bags and left with Link and Midna, taking it as a cue to get out and live my dream. I haven't seen him since."

Chris folded his arms in front of his chest and stared off into the darkness. "I don't really know what to say. I guess I know what that kind of feels like though."

Ilia considered his words for a silent moment. "I don't mean to pry, but why don't you and your father get along?"

His family wasn't a subject Chris was particularly fond of talking about. However, there was something about Ilia that made him want to share. Perhaps it was a mutual understanding between them. "It wasn't always like what you saw at the inn. Usually we got along great. That was until my mom passed away four years ago. It was like a wedge was being driven between us. Dad started drinking a lot, and it wasn't long before we began arguing over every little thing. Later, he started beating me whenever he got really angry. I got fed up with that after a couple of weeks and started hitting back. I came off worse from it, but at least I didn't go to bed feeling sorry for myself." Four years worth of bitterness started to boil inside him. Practice allowed him to suppress the emotions once more.

"I can understand what happened with you two," Ilia said solemnly. "When my mother died, my father turned into a complete wreck. He just sat around the house like he was half-dead. I guess it was lucky that he eventually got better. Maybe it was because he had his responsibilities as a mayor that he realized he couldn't mope around for the rest of his life. Maybe it was because of me. I don't know, and I doubt I ever will."

"I'm impressed he was able to turn himself around like that at all," Chris said. "Too bad my dad isn't going to change anytime soon."

Ilia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The innocent contact had some sort of effect on him. "Maybe now that you've left he might finally wake up," she suggested. "You could always hope."

Hope, he thought. Maybe it was possible. Perhaps one day he might come back and see if his father had changed. Still, Chris had his doubts. In a future months or years, curiosity might bring him back to his hometown to find out. But right now there would be no change. It was too soon.

"I'm glad you're here, Chris," Ilia said suddenly. He felt his cheeks grow hot but Ilia didn't appear to notice. "I mean, since I started travelling with Link and Midna, I kind of felt like the third wheel."

"What about the kid?" he asked. "Where does she fit in?"

Ilia glanced back at her tent with a sad expression. "Ana had lost her home and her parents when we found her. Since she didn't have any other family we decided to take her in."

Chris's eyes widened. "Wow... That's incredible."

The Hyrulean only shrugged. "Not really. I just couldn't leave her on her own, especially after what happened to her." Ilia let out a huge yawn, showing how tired she was.

"You should get some sleep," Chris suggested. "You sound as though you're about to drop."

A cloud had passed overhead, blocking out the moon so that he didn't see her nod. "Maybe you're right," he heard as she stood. "Looks like I'm not going to get this stupid spell after all. Goodnight, Chris."

"Goodnight, Ilia," he replied. Chris then stood up and fumbled in the dark for his tent, incidentally bumping into it and causing the frame to collapse. With an agitated sigh, he went to lay on the ground, and prayed to the gods that it didn't rain.


	8. Chapter 8: Life in the Big City

**Chapter 8: Life in the Big City**

The City of Greywal; a settlement built from stone that rivaled Castle Town in size. Like the capital of Hyrule, the city was surrounded by high walls to protect it from external attack. At Greywal's center stood a sturdy fortress that housed the city's reigning lord and would provide shelter to the public during times of war. As imposing as it appeared, Fort Greywal hardly stood even half as tall as Hyrule Castle once did. The town was a heavily populated place, large enough for a small group of shadow magicians to live in undetected.

For the past five months, the Hero of Light and his assorted companions had dwelt within the great city in reasonable comfort. They rented a modest, two-story house in the western district. It was the first place they had truly been able to call home since they each began their travels. Though the roof had a few leaks and the walls were infested with mice, it was perfect compared to the months of camping outdoors and staying at rundown inns. As an added bonus, the house was built with a basement that allowed its occupants to practice their magic away from disapproving eyes. After Ordon, their talents with shadow magic wasn't something Link wanted to make public, not until he was able to predict the city's tolerance when they did.

Due to the rent their landlord charged, the entire group, save the youngest member, worked in order to bring in an income. Soon after arriving in the city, Chris had joined a guild and put his skills as a carpenter to good use. Although he had felt out of place at first, Chris had over time become close friends with his Hyrulean companions. Link especially was grateful to have another male to talk to after spending so long alone with three girls.

When she wasn't caring for Ana, Ilia worked part-time as a stable hand. Despite prejudices from some misogynistic co-workers, the stable had become quite popular since she took the job. The level of care she took with each of the animals left with her pleased their owners, who would then recommend the stable to their friends and colleagues. Anyone who gave the blonde-haired girl any grievances would feel a gentle prick from her knife before immediately changing their attitudes.

Midna experienced some difficulty in finding work. Being a princess bred to lead, she lacked the skills that would make her eligible for many lower-class occupations. It was a desperate choice, but in the end she managed to find employment as a barmaid. The pub owner put Midna on a trial run and although she had much to learn, the amount of business he received on the first day alone was more than enough to secure the twili's position. Her exotic beauty attracted more customers in the first two hours than the pub usually saw in six.

Unfortunately, it was because of Midna's popularity that Link was completely against her new job. His main concern was that some low-life would attempt to assault her, even though he knew she could look after herself just fine. The two had argued for days over the matter, including during one of Midna's shifts. Her boss was unwilling to lose his biggest money-maker, so he offered a compromise by hiring Link as a bouncer. The deal would allow Link to keep a protective eye on Midna whilst keeping troublemakers out the bar at the same time. Link wasn't fully satisfied with the proposal but accepted it nonetheless.

Of course, Midna managed to succeed in making the arrangement more painful than was necessary. Night after night, Link would watch in silent fury as other men flirted with his beloved. The worst part was that Midna deliberately played along simply to antagonize him. Every time a stranger complimented her, she would wink in Link's direction with a devilish smirk. When a drinker had the nerve to ask Midna to come home with them, she would then direct them to the murderous-looking boyfriend guarding the only exit. Those people would politely withdraw their offers and move to the other side of the tavern, as far away from the twili as possible.

In their spare time, the group trained to improve their magic abilities under Midna's tutelage. After weeks of much practice, Ilia had finally become able to master simple spells and soon began applying her new skills in combat. Although Chris had originally been averse to shadow magic, once he had grown accustomed to it he too started learning the art alongside Link and Ilia. One of the greatest benefits he found was that he was able to carry around his tools and supplies far more easily, removing the need to pull along the heavy cart he had begun his journey with.

The only one not studying shadow magic was Ana, for none of the adults wanted to push her into it. In the months since her parents' deaths, Ana had recovered considerably as she interacted with others much more than she used to. However, there were still some fitful nights where the girl's fragile emotional state became apparent as she dreamt. The nightmare-induced mumblings still caused Ilia to worry about the child, and whether or not she was doing everything possible to help her.

* * *

The narrow street of cobblestones was relatively quiet as usual. A band of children played in the middle of the road, hopping around chalk drawings in some game. Adults walked purposefully in one direction or another as they headed about on their daily business. Among them were two young men, one of whom was burdened with a small wooden box. They didn't really need the box but it was far less conspicuous than carrying its cargo by less typical means.

Chris was destined for the nearest blacksmith, two blocks down the street from where they lived. Clattering noisily inside the crate was a number of tools he wanted sharpened. Link walked beside him, if only for the reason of having nothing better to do. It was the latter's day off, but with the rest of the house empty he quickly felt bored. Link was never one for kicking back and relaxing for long periods of time. For a moment he imagined Midna fraternizing with her customers at the bar but immediately pushed the thoughts aside. Link knew she only acted that way to play with his head, as was her favorite pastime, but if he was not there to witness it then there was little point to the activity.

The blacksmith's forge was a simple structure in terms of design. Its walls were built of brick whilst the pitched roof constructed from wood. Both the front door and the windows had been left open to allow the cool breeze in. The loud clanging of steel echoed in the two friends' ears as they stepped inside. Numerous tables dotted the interior, some holding smithing tools while others were burdened with haphazard piles off work-pieces, either completed or waiting to be. A furnace burned fiercely against the opposite wall, raising the surrounding area to sweltering temperatures.

Near the fire sat the blacksmith, a heavily-muscled man in his mid-thirties, dressed in a tough yet worn vermilion shirt under a protective leather apron. His thick, black beard was slick with sweat as he hammered a strip of red-hot metal against an anvil. Each swing was made with expert precision, striking in the exact same spot as the steel was bent into its desired shape. Satisfied with his work thus far, the smith dunked the glowing metal into a nearby barrel of water to cool it, sending up a plume of white steam in the process. After a meaningful cough from Chris, the blacksmith turned to his new customers with a broad grin.

"Link, Chris," he greeted warmly, "What can I do for you boys?"

"Morning, Rion," Chris replied in kind. "Just got a few tools that need some fixing up." He heaved the wooden crate upwards, shifting its contents noisily to make his point. Rion eyed the box in mild interest then gestured to a table with some space clear.

"Set them over there and I'll take a look." The carpenter complied and laid down the set of tools with a grunt. Rion stood up and walked over to the table, rubbing the moisture from his forehead with a rag. He rummaged through the crate and inspected saws, chisels and whittling knives that had dulled and chipped with use.

"This shouldn't take that long but I won't be able to get around to it for another few hours," the blacksmith stated, jerking his thumb towards other projects that needed work done. "Leave them with me and I'll have it done by the end of the day."

Chris nodded approvingly. "Thanks, Rion. How's Hazel?"

Hazel was the blacksmith's wife. Together they lived with their daughter, Julie, in the house next door to the forge. Julie was roughly the same age as Ana and served as a well-needed playmate for the latter. Often when Ilia had to work at the stables Hazel would offer to supervise Ana for the day. As a result, the two households developed a close relationship with one another.

"Doing well," Rion answered. "Don't know if you've heard, but she wanted to have you and the girls over for supper later this week."

"Ilia told us as much," Link replied with a nod. "Unfortunately Midna and I are will be at the bar that night. Thanks for the invitation, though." The blacksmith merely shrugged and accepted the refusal without complaint.

While waiting for the maintenance to be done, the shadow magicians left the forge to find something for lunch. They found a bakery and bought themselves a couple of pies with flaky pastry stuffed with piping-hot beef. The two men ate as they walked, looking for some means of passing the time. There were still parts of Greywal that they had not yet explored. Wandering around, they saw various street performers as well as pavilions that reminded Link of a game he had won in Castle Town using his clawshots. None of the colourful tents contained anything of wonder though, mostly sheltering fortune-tellers or gambling tables. Rather than spend precious money on cheap scams, Link and Chris moved on.

After an hour, Link could hear angry voices over the crowd's rambling. He followed the sound around the corner to an unfamiliar street. Standing outside of a tailor's shop was a group of five men. They threw insults and threats at the store's owner, who cowered behind the door with a short chain that kept it from opening more than a few inches. Even at a distance, Link could see the grey hairs on the man's balding head.

"Let us in, old man," one of the hooligans demanded. "Do it now and maybe we won't have to break anything." His cruel undertone hinted that he wasn't likely to keep his word.

"As if I'd allow you scoundrels to make a mess of my business," the tailor answered defiantly from behind his flimsy barrier, even though the desperation in his voice was obvious. "Get out of here before I call the guards."

The group roared with laughter as though they had been told the funniest joke in the world. People on the street averted their eyes and stayed away from the scene, some retreating to the safety of other buildings. No one seemed to want to get involved and left the poor old man to fear for his life.

"What are they going to do?" the same crook asked. "Lock us up and throw away the key? I seriously doubt it."

As much as it infuriated Link, he could not help but agree with the man. While many of the guards in Castle Town were lazy and spineless, the ones patrolling Greywal were surprisingly worse. It wasn't that they were incompetent in their duties. The problem was that they simply didn't seem to care about the people they were sworn to protect. Unless they actually witnessed a crime taking place, none of the soldiers would bother to act, merely brushing off pleading citizens apathetically. There were a few white sheep that would conduct a proper investigation but they were too few amongst a flock of black. As a result, gangs such as this one were common and roamed about freely.

Behind the swordsman, Chris paled slightly at the harassing group. As much as he wanted to help, the sight of the weapons strapped to the goons' belts made him tremble. Link on the other hand was bristling with rage. The hero inside of him couldn't stand by and watch another person get hurt, nor could he allow such vile behaviour to go unpunished. He began walking closer to the store, head held high and eyes burning with a determined fire.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Why don't you lot get out of here and leave the guy alone?"

All five of the thugs turned around, surprise written on their faces from being challenged. The one who had been speaking to the shopkeeper sneered at Link and drew a knife from his belt. Link had a sense that he was the leader of the pack.

"Mind your own if you know what's good for you," the man snarled. He brandished his blade threateningly through the air as it reflected the sun's light brilliantly.

Link's keen eyes tracked its movements but showed no sign of being intimidated. He drew his sword and held it by his side, deceptively relaxed while he was ready to engage in an instant. His shield slid down his opposite arm and stopped as his hand grabbed one of its straps. The other four thugs drew their own weapons, the largest being a crude wooden club held by a thickset brute. The warrior studied the band with little concern as they tried to surround him. He had fought with worse odds countless times before. This would be easy in comparison.

"I'll give you one last chance to walk away," Link said firmly. In response, a man armed with pocketknife lunged from the right. Link casually stepped backwards from the thrust and slammed his shield into the attacker's head. He collapsed onto the ground in a heap where he continued to lay unmoving.

Link's next opponent was the larger thug with the club, who raised his weapon up high to crush the young warrior. Again Link dodged and slashed his sword against the man's leg. Crimson blood gushed from the wound as the brute felt to his knees. Without missing a beat, Link struck him atop the head with the pommel of his sword, knocking him unconscious.

The remaining thugs had lost some of their confidence at the defeat of their heavy-hitter. Two of them decided to change tactics and switched their attention to the swordsman's unarmed companion. Chris jumped as they charged him with lethal weapons and instinctively threw his arms out. Dark energy erupted from his hands and shot the assailants back against the wall with enough force to knock a couple of potted plants from nearby windowsills. The blast of magic hadn't killed them but both men were out cold.

The last man, the supposed leader, watched mouth-agape as he struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. Seeing that his comrades had all fallen so easily, he turned tail and ran away screaming in terror. Link let him to go; he was too busy staring at Chris with wide eyes. His first thought was to make a run for it as well but a shout from behind dashed that idea immediately. Peering over his shoulder, Link saw a squad of six guards circling them with drawn swords. Each soldier wore simple grey armour, emblazoned on the left breast with a silver castle on a red field. It was the crest of Greywal.

"I can explain..." he started, but the guards didn't seem eager to listen.

"Shut it," one of them growled. "You're all under arrest for disrupting the peace. Surrender or die."

As the men moved in closer Chris adopted a shaky defensive stance, preparing to fight again. Link gripped his shoulder firmly and told the woodworker to stand down. He hoped that it was possible to explain the situation later and resolve the situation more peacefully. Link returned his sword to its scabbard then permitted the guards to disarm him and tie his hands behind his back. Once the magic-wielders had both been restrained, the guards did the same to the unconscious thugs.

It would have been difficult to carry the thugs off, especially the big one, so two of the soldiers remained behind with them to wait for backup. The rest of the squad surrounded Link and Chris in box formation and marched them towards the fortress. As the formidable towers grew closer, Link could only think about how great of a mess they had gotten themselves into. This was not how he had planned to spend his day off.

* * *

The air was dank and reeked of waste and decay. Cold stone walls surrounded Link from all sides, save for the iron bars of his cell door. The only illumination came from the torches flickering along the corridor outside. He didn't know how much time had passed since he and Chris had been incarcerated. Maybe it had been a few hours? As soon as they made it to the fortress, they were forced down into the dungeon and locked in separate cells. To add to his discomfort, the guards had neglected to untie Link's hands before leaving.

Looking around in his cramped, dimly lit cell, Link couldn't help but smile crookedly as he remember the last time he had been imprisoned. It had been so very different that time. His smile widened when he recalled that was when he had first met Midna. She wasn't there to bust him out now, though. But fortunately he wouldn't need her help this time around. A short burst of magic and he could free himself and Chris then escape without anyone seeing them. The only reason he hadn't yet was because he wanted to see if he could settle their predicament without it ending in a manhunt. If they were left waiting too long however, he wouldn't be against the idea of breaking out.

No matter what happened later, there was no changing the fact that their talents with magic had been revealed. Link didn't blame Chris for using his powers like he had. Chris was a craftsman, not a fighter. When he had been faced with lethal weapons coming straight at him, he had defended himself the only way he knew how. To Link's dismay, the carpenter's actions had been witnessed by the gangsters, the guards, as well as the store owner they had saved. People would talk. People would hear. Eventually stories of the duo of magicians would spread like wildfire and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. All Link could do was hope that Greywal would react better to the news than Ordon Village had. Until then, worry gnawed at his stomach like a vicious parasite.

After what felt an eternity, Link heard the echo of multiple footsteps. Two guards appeared outside of his cell and unlocked the door. They were different from the men who had brought him there. Link had freed his hands on his own long ago, yet the soldiers didn't seem alarmed. Perhaps they assumed their comrades had left the prisoner unrestrained on purpose. They did however tie Link up again with fresh ropes soon after they had pulled him to his feet. Outside of the cell, Link saw Chris being handled similarly by two more guards. The only words the guards spoke were curt orders to move, accompanied by a firm shove from behind. They marched along the corridor and followed the steps upwards where it was brighter and the air was fresher.

Link and Chris were escorted along hallways, around corners, and up staircases. As far as castles went, the interior design was splendid yet relatively sparse. There were fewer decorations like portraits and suits of armour lining the walls than Link remembered seeing in Hyrule Castle. In respect, Fort Greywal belonged to a lord rather than a king so the lack of grandeur was understandable. Servants stared at the two prisoners as they passed by, and those in groups muttered quietly to each other. Link guessed that rumours had already begun to spread since there was little chance of such interest being taken in petty criminals.

At last the escort halted in front of a set of doors of heavy oak, the meaning behind the symbols carved on their surfaces being lost to the foreigners. One of the guardsmen approached the doors and rapped his knuckles on them loudly. A few seconds passed before the wooden doors parted and the group were permitted through. The room beyond was wide and spacious and appeared to be a kind of courtroom. Benches ran along the sides whilst at the far end stood a small though impressive throne, elevated on a set of steps so that its occupant could look down on his audience. On it sat a man garbed in a deep-green velvet doublet that matched the colour of his eyes. His receding hair was black, as was the wispy beard growing on his chin. He was slightly overweight, marking a man who enjoyed the comforts of his status.

The soldiers kicked Link and Chris behind the legs, forcing them to kneel. "Bow before the great Winston Teryll, Lord of Greywal," one of the guards commanded gruffly. Link shot the man a quick glare then faced the noble.

Lord Teryll raised a hand in a casual manner. "Let these young fellows to their feet, gentlemen," he spoke, his voice calm and soft. The guards pulled the prisoners up from the ground. Link noticed that they did so more gently than a moment ago.

The leader of Greywal looked over the youthful faces with interest, particularly the one with a black streak running across his eye. "Earlier today I heard that a squad of my men had arrested a band of ruffians causing trouble. When I learned that one of them had been seen using magic of all things, I simply had to see it for myself. Tell me, young man," he spoke to Link, "are these stories true by any chance?"

Link thought about lying, about laughing at the news as if it had been invented by an overimaginative child, but he could see in Teryll's gaze that he had heard enough accounts to suspect him if he did. Instead he answered, "Yes, sir. I used magic in order to defend myself, nothing more." If Chris was to be punished for his actions then Link wanted to protect his friend however he could.

Teryll stared at him as he digested the statement. "So you say," he spoke at last. "But according to my men, the sorcerer they arrested was accompanied by a swordsman with a strange tattoo on his face. As it so happens, the latter seems to match your description, which leaves the true mage to be him." Both captives flinched as Teryll eyed Chris pointedly. The woodworker stared up at the lord with a very nervous expression.

"Shielding your friend is admirable, I will admit," Teryll addressed Link once more with a hard look, "but do not attempt to deceive me again." The lord's expression then softened. "Now, what can you tell me about what happened earlier today? I am curious to hear your version of the event."

Link held the nobleman's gaze steadily. They bore at him in a way that suggested the man could tell when someone was lying. In his peripheral vision, Link could see Chris watching him as though the former's answer would decide their fates. Teryll must have noticed as his attention was fully focused on the swordsman. Link brow furrowed in irritation. Why was it that the spotlight always shone on him? It had to be a curse, he just knew it.

"My friend and I were walking through the city when we came across a shop owner being harassed by five men," Link explained. "I stepped in to stop them and took down two of men when they attacked me. Two more then went after Chris and he used magic to stop them by pure instinct. The last man ran off just before we were arrested."

"Interesting," Teryll spoke calmly, leaning back into his chair. The wood groaned from the shifting of the portly lord's weight. He then turned his head to face Chris. "Tell me; are there others with abilities such as yours, here in Greywal?"

Unconsciously, Chris looked towards Link for guidance, which in the warrior's opinion told the lord all he needed to know. "I can use magic as well, as can our friends who came to the city with us," Link confessed. "We don't use it in public in case people became afraid of us. It's happened before..."

For the longest time Lord Teryll said nothing. He rubbed his bearded chin as he pondered over the information given to him. Soon Link would learn whether his worries had any merit to them. His whole body tensed as he waited for the lord's verdict, ready to break out of his bonds and flee if the worst came. What would they do then, he wondered. If Link and Chris escaped then the guards would most surely search the city for them. Midna, Ilia and Ana would also be at risk. The boys would have to find them and escape Greywal before they were caught. The thought saddened Link, they had finally found a home for themselves after so long and now there was the possibility that they would have to leave.

At last, Teryll shifted in his seat again and sat up tall. "Release them," he commanded.

The guards, who hadn't moved a muscle throughout the hearing, started at the order. "My lord..." one tried to protest.

"These two gentlemen have committed no offense," Teryll interrupted, a jovial smile playing on his face. "They were merely looking out for their fellow man. They have done the city a service. You are both free to go," he directed the last part to the two magicians.

Link was taken aback as he felt his hands being untied. As relieved as he was, he hadn't expected for them to be let off so easily. "Thank you, sir," he said, bowing briefly but respectfully. Chris followed suit once his own hands had been freed.

"You must forgive my men," Lord Teryll said apologetically. "They can be quite uptight and can come off as a tad harsh from time to time."

"It's alright," Link answered, rubbing the stiffness from his wrists. In truth he was still upset about the ruthless treatment he had suffered, but Link wasn't about to risk getting thrown back in prison by arguing with the city's most powerful figure. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have my sword and shield back please. They're very dear to me."

The lord's head bobbed in understanding. "Of course, of course, the guards here will return them to you as they escort you out." As Link and Chris turned to depart, Teryll spoke again. "This magic you have told me about, I am a bit curious about it. If it's not too inconvenient for you, I want to invite you to discuss it with me some more at a later date, Mister..."

"Link," he said, uncertain how to reply. Link was ill at ease with revealing more about shadow magic, but part of him rationalised that openness would gain trust better than secrecy. "I suppose there's no harm in it."

The grin on Teryll's face stretched to each ear. "Marvellous. How does midday in four days time sound? Feel free to bring any of your 'friends' along, I would love to meet them. I promise that you won't be marched around at sword point when you arrive," he chuckled.

Link nodded. "That should be fine. Thank you, Lord Teryll for being so understanding."

"Think nothing of it," Teryll replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I will see you in four days then. Farewell, Link."

Link was relieved when he received his equipment shortly after leaving the courtroom. He recognised the design of the sword's cross-guard as Rusl's work, and having its leather-strapped hilt in his hand made Link feel so much more secure. As Fort Greywall shrank behind him and Chris, Link thoughts turned to what they would expect when they returned home. Midna would likely be mad when Link told her that they had been arrested. He was definitely not looking forward to that encounter.


	9. Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed

**I think it would be wonderful to be able to forget what I wrote in a story after I was finished. That way I could enjoy it the same way the first time as all of you, just to get that experience with not knowing the ending.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed**

The journey home was mostly uneventful, although every now and again people would whisper among themselves as Link and Chris walked by. When Link turned his head towards them the gossipers would promptly look away. It was nowhere near the amount of attention the swordsman had expected to receive since the earlier incident, but it was still enough to make him uncomfortable. He was being overly paranoid, Link told himself. Perhaps those people knew nothing and only watched the two men simply out of nosiness. That notion did little to ease his nerves, however.

The sun had already begun to set beyond the city walls when the pair had left the fortress. Under the golden glow of dusk, the colorful pallet of the houses turned to darker and warmer hues. Link would have enjoyed the scenery if he wasn't so wrapped up in the questions raging inside his brain. Would things change for him and his friends now? If so, how will they? Will it be possible for life to return to normal over time, or would things take a turn for the worst? It was a conundrum Link wished he knew the answer to.

Chris walked beside the hylian in complete silence. He stared down at the ground most of the time, only looking up to avoid colliding with another citizen. Regret filled his viridian eyes; the kind one expressed when they had made a simple yet disastrous mistake. As much as Link wanted to tell his friend that he had done nothing wrong, he found it too difficult to speak. Instead he placed a comforting hand on the woodworker's shoulder, gave him a meaningful look and left it at that.

If it hadn't been on their way, the two of them would have forgotten to stop by Rion's forge to collect Chris' tools. The air was much cooler inside than earlier since the furnace had been extinguished. Rion hunched over at one of his worktables with his front facing towards the door. A loud grating sound rang as the blacksmith smoothed the edges of a metal piece with a file. This time he needed no announcement to tell him he had visitors.

"Ah, it's you two," Rion said when he looked up. "I managed to that job done for you, Chris. Your stuff's right over there." The smith pointed over to a bench along the opposite side of the building. He sounded more distant to Link than he had been that morning, as though something was on his mind.

Chris thanked him in a quiet tone and gave the man a handful of copper and silver coins. The currency of the local area was a little bit different from the crystal-based one used by Hyrule and many of its allied nations. Though he was still required to think carefully when counting money, Link was able to adopt the new system without much trouble. Rion accepted the payment and dropped it into the swollen wallet hanging from his belt. "Much appreciated," he mumbled.

"Is everything alright, Rion?" Link asked, concerned. Usually the big man was quite cheerful, especially after an honest day's work.

"Hmm?" the blacksmith raised his brows. "Yeah sure, everything's fine. It's just that..." He paused as he struggled to find the words. "Well, when a few of my clients came in to pick up their orders they mentioned something that I thought was a little... disturbing."

Link and Chris both looked at each other anxiously. "What did they say?" the latter asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"It's probably nothing, maybe just a bad rumor," Rion replied. "Apparently there was a fight over in the northern district. One of the local gangs was hassling some of the merchants when these two guys went up and took them down. Two against five they told me, and they didn't take so much as a scratch!"

"So they were pretty good fighters," Link shrugged, doing his best to be nonchalant. "I don't see what's so weird about it."

"Normally I'd agree," the smith nodded. "But from what I heard, one of the guys took half of the buggers out without even touching them. They say it was magic." Rion paused once again. "What bothers me the most is that the way they described those people reminded me a hell of a lot of you two." There was no sign of accusation, but the blacksmith did stare at the pair as if waiting for them to tell him how ludicrous the whole thing sounded.

Link averted his gaze and sighed softly. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and met the man's eye again. "Look, Rion. What you heard, it's true. The reason why we know that is because that was us that those people told you about."

'You're joking," the blacksmith breathed, wide-eyed. Link looked at him in a way that expressed he wasn't.

"I know what it sounds like, but hear us out," he said. "Chris and I can use magic, shadow magic. So can Midna and Ilia. We're not here to cause trouble, though. We just want someplace safe to live. I'm sorry we didn't tell you but we afraid about how you would react."

Rion studied the swordsman long and hard. "You're not joking then, gods above."

"I was pretty shocked too when I first found out," Chris spoke up. "But once I got used to it, I learned that magic can be pretty handy."

Rion merely shook his head slowly and fell silent. Link and Chris waited anxiously as the blacksmith stared down at his boots for several minutes. Finally Rion looked up at the two men in front of him with a serious glint in his gaze.

"I've known you lot for a long while now. Me and my family have eaten your food and given you ours. The tykes have played together nearly every day since we met. You're good people, all of you, that much I can say for certain. I don't know a thing about this shadow magic business, and I'm not too fond of the fact you've kept that kind of secret from us, but I get that you had your reasons. As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed."

The smile on Link's face couldn't express the huge relief he felt. "Thank you," he said softly.

The smith then grinned broadly through his thick beard. "You know, this does explain some of the stories Hazel's heard Ana telling. She thought the girl had a twisted imagination when she said Link here could turn into a dog. You're not going to tell me that's true too, now are you?" He laughed at the thought, a boisterous sound it was.

"Uh," Link hesitated. He would need to have a little chat with the four-year-old later on, but thankfully Rion didn't seem to expect a proper answer. Instead he had another question for the younger men.

"So how did you get away after the fight? It ain't easy to hide from the guards in this city, especially when they actually want to find someone."

"We didn't," Chris answered flatly. "They caught us right afterwards and locked us in the fortress dungeon. We were left waiting there all day but when we met with Lord Teryll, we told him what happened and he let us go."

That really shocked the blacksmith. "Seriously? I can't believe he actually saw you the same day you were imprisoned, never mind let you off. What else happened?"

"Nothing much," Link shrugged. "We told him about our magic and he wants to talk to me some more about it in a few days."

Rion heavy brows creased in a large frown. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"Why?" Link asked, tilting his head sideways.

"Let's just say that our great lord isn't often one for conversing with his people," Rion said with unmasked disdain. "The fact that he was so friendly towards you strikes me as odd. I've got a hunch that Teryll may want something more than a social visit."

Link frowned. He had a sneaking suspicion that the blacksmith may be right. Looking back now, there had been something peculiar about the aristocrat's attitude. Even so, Link figured he might as well see Teryll anyway and try to work out for certain what the lord was after. He and Chris bade the blacksmith goodbye and departed, very nearly leaving the carpenter's tools behind. The two of them were in higher spirits as they made their way home. That was, until they stepped through the front door.

"Where the bloody hell have you two been?" Midna nearly shrieked at them. The angered twili stood up from where she had been entertaining Ana and stormed right up to the males, both of whom took a nervous step backwards.

"Hi honey, I missed you too. How was work today?" Link answered sardonically.

Midna didn't appreciate the swordsman's remark. "Well since you asked," she growled, hands brought to her hips. "I overheard a bunch of guys talking at the bar earlier, and imagine my surprise when I found out that you two idiots got yourselves arrested. And don't try to deny it, Ilia came back home saying the same thing, only she heard that you used magic as well. In public! What the hell happened?!" She glared hotly at Link, already assuming him to be the heart of the problem.

To her and Link's surprise, Chris stepped in front of her. "Midna, it was my fault. I used magic by accident and people saw me."

Midna gawped at him dumbstruck. She could easily understand Link inadvertently causing trouble, but Chris was usually smarter than that to get into such a mess. Ilia moved away from the cooking pot she had put on to boil and looked at the boys with concern.

"You'd better tell us the full story then," she advised, gesturing to the shabby rectangle of wooden boards that served as their dining table.

The four adults took a seat each as Link recounted the events that followed their initial visit to the forge. When he reached the part about the gang fight, Midna's expression relaxed somewhat. Both girls gasped slightly when they heard Chris had been targeted and were relieved that he was unharmed. Link rolled his eyes at that point. They hadn't reacted that way when he said that he had been attacked. He continued the story and told them of Lord Teryll's invitation to his fortress as well as Rion's warning.

"Hmm," Midna mumbled, her face grave. "I think I'd better go with you when you meet with this Teryll guy."

Link nodded to the suggestion. Midna was infinitely more experienced with talking to politicians than he was and he would feel much better with her being by his side.

"I'm sorry, guys," Chris said dejectedly, head resting in his hands. "I really screwed up today."

Ilia placed a comforting hand on his back. "Don't blame yourself. You did what you had to do to protect yourself. Things like this just happen and none of it is your fault."

He gave her an appreciative look but said nothing, still feeling guilty about being cause of their problem. A hiss seized the moment as water began spilling from the pot into the fire. The discussion was then discontinued as Ilia returned her attention to preparing dinner. Link leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Things were going to become more hectic for them in the future, and he prayed that they would be strong enough to deal with whatever came at them.

* * *

Link and Midna walked silently behind the armored knight leading them through the fortress keep. The day of Link's meeting with Lord Teryll had arrived and the couple was charged with anticipation. The guards had let them through the front gate as soon as Link said his name, after which one of them escorted them the rest of the way. The twosome had expected to be left waiting while a runner went to the lord to confirm their invitation, so it was a pleasant surprise. If there was anything positive to say about Greywal soldiers, they were efficient when they chose to be.

Midna was garbed in a midnight-blue dress that stretched down to her ankles and accentuated her teal skin. It was the finest garment she owned other than her royal cloak and she didn't want to make her true standing known. The twili's feet were clad in the same sandals she usually wore. She didn't possess any other kind of footwear nor was she ever keen to acquire some. Link wore a simple green tunic, beige trousers and brown boots; a poor replica of his old hero's clothes that he liked to wear on occasion.

The couple's guide stopped at an ornate door and rapped his knuckles on the wood. When a muffled voice gave permission the guard entered the next room. Link and Midna followed and found themselves in a spacious office lavishly adorned with plush furniture and impressive decorations. Lord Teryll sat comfortably behind a beautifully crafted mahogany desk, placing a stack of documents aside as he beamed at his guests. The fat noble gestured for the pair to sit and dismissed the guard, leaving the three of them to talk in private.

"Link," he greeted silkily, "I have been looking forward to speaking to you again. Who is this charming lady you've brought with you?" He smiled at her in a way that made the twili's skin crawl

"I'm honored to be here, sir," Link replied respectfully. "This is my beloved, Midna."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord," Midna said, smiling in a polite manner. A lifetime of politics had taught her that courtesy and a silver tongue were one's best defenses.

"A very lucky man to be sure," Teryll said lightheartedly. He clapped his hands together. "Now to the matter at hand; I wished to learn more about this magic young Link has told me you possess."

"What would you like to know?" Midna asked without hesitation, sitting tall with complete confidence. It had already been decided that she would do most of the talking. If Teryll was surprised by her responding, he hid it well.

"First I would like to know how you obtained such abilities," the lord replied, keeping his tone affable.

A simple question, Midna noted, and one that wouldn't cause too much harm so long as she maintained control of the conversation. "I was the one who taught Link and our friends how to wield magic. Shadow magic is the basis of my tribe's culture, as it has been throughout our existence. Almost all of us practice it to some extent."

That time Teryll's brow did rise. "Indeed? Is shadow magic different from other forms?"

"Fundamentally yes, but not by much. The variety we use centers around shadow manipulation and illusions." Midna intentionally left out that shadow magic also focused largely on distorting space. That wasn't information she felt she could trust sharing with the nobleman.

Teryll nodded. Exactly how much he actually understood of the brief explanation was a mystery. "I was told that you traveled to Greywal from elsewhere." His gaze was directed at Link.

"We originally came from Hyrule," Link replied. "The kingdom was having some troubles a while back and we decided to get away from it all." There was some truth in those words. Hopefully they would satisfy Teryll's curiosity towards that topic.

"And here I believed hylian sorcery was a legend," the lord muttered after a pause. "I never knew there were magicians dwelling in Hyrule, let alone an entire tribe of them."

"My people live in place isolated from the rest of the world and never leave," Midna said. "There's only one known path there but it's impassable now. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one of my kind outside of our domain." Sadness crept into her voice unbidden. After all this time, thoughts of never seeing another twili again still filled her with a pang of loneliness. She felt Link place his hand in hers under the desk and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Teryll replied sympathetically. "If you are the only one, yet you have instructed your companions in your magic, does that mean it isn't exclusive to your tribe?"

'Where are you going with this?' Midna pondered, all the while regaining her composure. "I had my doubts at first, but after some practice Link and the others were able to use magic successfully. Why do you ask?"

Lord Teryll leaned forward, resting his elbows on the mahogany with hands clasped together. "I was wondering if you would be willing to teach your art to others here within in the city."

Midna kept her face neutral as his intention dawned on her. It didn't surprise her in the least. She glanced sideways at Link and observed with approval that he too had hidden his reaction. "Like your soldiers for example?" she retorted, her voice was tinged slightly with accusation.

Teryll spread his arms outwards in an innocent gesture. "Some of them, if you would be willing. It would greatly aid us in defending Greywal. Magic would give us the advantage we need to overcome any threat. I can reward you handsomely for your efforts, if that helps."

Midna turned towards Link and met his gaze. The hylian bore a serious expression as his crystal-blue eyes held hers. No words were needed for the twili to know they were thinking along the same lines. She looked back at Teryll and spoke firmly. "I'm sorry but the answer is going to have to be no."

"Please understand," Link cut in, seeing the mild shock that flickered across the noble's face. "Even though you're looking out for your people's best interests, we just can't risk sharing our knowledge with people who might misuse it."

"My tribe's magic has had some bad history with being used as a weapon," Midna added. "In each case it's resulted in very serious consequences." That, she thought, had to be the greatest understatement the twili had ever made in her life.

"You were willing to teach your friends, though," Teryll countered with a frown.

Midna maintained her level gaze. "Link and the others are people that I trust to use their magic responsibly. I can't say the same about you or your subjects, however."

The lord's expression lingered for a few seconds then was suddenly replaced with a significantly more cheerful one. "Oh of course, forgive me. We hardly know each other and here I am asking to learn your most precious secrets, how uncouth. Naturally you would have little reason to trust me."

"It's alright, my lord," Midna said, deciding it would be best at that moment to be gracious. "If there is nothing more, we would like to take our leave."

"Of course," Teryll nodded his consent. As the two shadow magicians rose from their chairs and walked halfway to the door the lord spoke again. "This discussion has been very enlightening. Perhaps we can meet again sometime. Hopefully we can learn a little more about each other then. Goodbye, Link. Goodbye, Midna. I wish you both a good day."

The pair responded in kind and left to find the guard who escorted them in, who led them out in silence. Only after Fort Greywal was well behind them did Link dare speak. "So what do you make of Teryll?" he murmured under his breath, cautiously eyeing a pair of soldiers loitering no further than ten meters away.

The twili followed his gaze and waited for the men to be out of earshot. "I don't trust him one bit," she whispered darkly. "I could see it in his eyes. He loves power and craves more of it. I don't think he's going to accept our answer for long. He's pretty much hinted that he'll try again, only next time he'll aim to be a bit more subtle."

Link nodded "I gathered as much. Do you think he's going to be a problem?". He sidestepped just in time to avoid a man carrying a heavy wooden crate, so large that it was a wonder he could see over it.

Midna considered the question before answering. "He's nowhere near as dangerous as Ganondorf or Zant were, but if we give him what he wants then he could cause just as much damage."

"Sounds like we might need to think about moving again," Link muttered despondently. Midna understood how he felt. She too had grown attached to their current home, so much so she wasn't about to give it up because she was afraid of one noble who was quite literally overflowing his seat.

"No," she said. "Let's wait it out for a while. We're probably worrying about nothing. Maybe the guy will take a hint and leave us alone." The belief may have been overly idealistic, but it gave the twili hope and strength. She could feel Link's stride bolster with confidence as a determined flare sparked in his eyes. Midna felt a smile widen on her lips. After facing off against fire-breathing dragons, corrupted yetis and evil warlocks, so long as they stood together the hero and his partner could easily deal with a minor nuisance like Teryll.

* * *

**Admittedly this chapter is shorter than the rest so far, but it feels like this is the best place to end it.**


	10. Chapter 10: Fire and Shadow

**Come on, people. Let's get some more reviews coming in. I crave feedback.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Fire and Shadow**

In the weeks that passed since the street fight incident, the shadow magicians had become the topic of conversation throughout the city. Nearly everyone knew of the enigmatic group from a distant land, although much of their knowledge was mere speculation. While many accounts were exaggerated in one way or another, it was generally agreed that the sorcerers had beaten one of the city's various crime gangs. Some people rejoiced to hear that justice had finally been served. Conversely, just as many wondered if they ought to be more afraid of the foreigners whose might they couldn't comprehend.

Over time, the stories had been traced back to Link and his companions, how so he could only imagine. Perhaps it hadn't been so difficult. After all, he and Midna both had very recognizable appearances, and working in a tavern meant that a lot of people saw them on a regular basis. Often people would gaze at them with awe, or sometimes suspicion. Occasionally some would throw jeers from a distance that the magicians would do their best to ignore. Every once in a while though, they would receive a friendly smile from a passing stranger, to which they would return with a similar grin. Any other person barely gave the magicians a second glance, either not knowing or caring about who they were.

The tailor that Link and Chris had helped tracked the two down so that he could thank them for saving his shop. The man offered a bloated satchel of gold coins as a reward but Link politely refused, saying that no reward was needed. The old man was insistent though, and after a reverse bout of tug-of-war he forced the bag into Link's hands then disappeared into the crowd before the hero could react. Link smiled meekly as he let out a defeated sigh. He never felt comfortable accepting gifts for aiding others, yet people persisted to give him items that were worth more than the deed warranted. Then again, Midna had always told Link that he was too much of an altruist for his own good.

Lord Teryll hadn't given up his desire to harness the twili's magic, even if he rarely spoke a word of it. More than once he had invited Link and Midna, as well as Ilia, Chris and Ana, to attend some party he held for one obscure reason or another. There he would corner one of the sorcerers and engage them in light conversation. Teryll would share information about his personal life while asking questions regarding the other person's own. Even Link was able to suss out that it was a ploy to win their trust. All four magic-wielders knew what to expect and smiled as they played along with the lord's futile scheme.

Even life at home had been turned upside down. A few curious folk hung around outside like swarming flies, waiting in vain to catch a glimpse of magic. Some more fearful and hostile souls would occasionally throw bottles or bricks at the house, though after the first incident the windows had been enchanted to be shatter-proof. It was fortunate, Link thought, that he and his friends could continue to live there since their landlord didn't care about their otherworldly talents so long as the rent was paid. Despite it all, inside the house's walls, its five inhabitants felt safe, with nothing to worry about regarding the outside world. That was, until that one night...

* * *

Link's eyes snapped wide open as a loud _bang_ woke him from sleep. Midna too had been disturbed by the noise and practically leaped from her pillow that was the swordsman's bare chest. He scrambled out from beneath the sheets and peered out the second-floor window. Lights came to life from within dark houses, assuring Link that they hadn't been the only ones woken by the sound. No sign of trouble could be seen in his frame of vision, but that noise had been all too familiar to Link and came from a nearby source. It wasn't until he opened the window and stuck his head out did he see a bright orange glow not too far away, in a direction that gave birth to several horrible images in Link's mind.

He quickly moved away from the window and hunted through the darkness for a shirt and his boots, slipping both on so fast it was a miracle that neither was being worn the wrong way round. Beside him, Link heard Midna searching madly for her own clothes. Once the couple was dressed, they bolted out the door and down the creaky stairs where light shone from the living room. There they met Ilia and Chris, with the former illuminating the space with a bluish flame in her palm. The second pair was still in their nightclothes but they both wore shoes on their feet, Ilia only doing so because of the broken glass that was usually littered outside their front door.

"Did you guys hear that too?" Ilia said, slightly panicked.

Midna nodded. "We did."

"Something happened a few blocks down over east," Link added.

Chris' eyes widened, his usually green irises appearing aquamarine in the firelight. "East? But that's the same way as..."

"I know," Link said, "Come on." He turned and rushed out the door into the street, closely followed by his housemates. Together they made their way to the foreboding light, along with other citizens creeping out of their homes to investigate. Closer to their destination, Link heard a rabble of voices, all alarmed by whatever events had unfolded. He turned at the next corner and felt his blood turn to ice as he took in the sight before him.

Great flames burned so brightly that they cast long shadows against the surrounding buildings. So far the fire was restricted to the forge's roof, but smoke from the windows told that more blazed inside. A large cavity had been made in a section of a wall as if it had been blown out. More flames could be seen through the gaping hole. Plumes of grey smoke rose into the air, almost invisible against the black sky. Not all of the structure had been consumed yet, but it was clear that if the fire wasn't controlled then it soon would. Thankfully the adjacent buildings had been built at a safe distance away, as smithies were inherently a fire hazard, and had so far been spared from the disaster.

Link scanned intently the small crowd that had formed outside the forge. Standing closest to the blaze was a slim woman with short auburn locks, her terror-filled eyes fixated on the destruction. Clutching at her skirt was a small girl with similar hair with tears streaming down her cheeks. Link pushed through the throng of bystanders and reached out to grab the woman by the shoulder.

"Hazel!" he shouted over the crackling, "What happened?"

The woman turned to face him. Only a few terrible times had Link seen so much fear in another person's expression. "I don't know," Hazel answered, so quietly he almost didn't hear it. "Rion was working late on a project... There was this explosion and then..." Her voice rose as her panic began to build. "My husband... My Rion is still in there!" Julie cried out for her father as if he would suddenly appear unharmed. He didn't.

Without a word or a moment's hesitation, Link turned away from the blacksmith's wife and ran headlong into the flames. Midna called after him after he disappeared into the smoke yet received no response. The twili looked back towards the distressed pair then to her friends. She saw Ana standing beside Ilia wearing her pyjamas and slippers with Snubbles held tightly in her arms, staring at the inferno in complete fright. How long the child had been with them Midna didn't know, she had thought the girl was still in bed. Midna then heard Chris shout something before rushing off down the darkened street. Deciding not to bother to call out to the second male, the twili turned to Ilia.

"Take them home and try to calm them down," she instructed, "I'll go in and help Link."

The other girl nodded then took Hazel's hand and led her reluctantly away, the mother instinctively holding her daughter close. When Ilia turned around she saw Ana and frowned slightly as if it was the first time she noticed her being there before grabbing the child with her free hand. Midna watched the four leave then looked to the forge. She prepared a couple of spells to protect her from the heat and smoke, but before Midna could enter the building she saw two figures emerging, one supported by the other. Relief washed over the twili as Link hauled Rion out into the safety of the street. All it took though was one look at the blacksmith for Midna's relief to turn to dread.

* * *

Chris watched the blaze in utter horror, though it wasn't because of the flames themselves. He had seen a handful of house fires before back home and most of them had been far worse that what he was currently witnessing. His fear instead stemmed from the knowledge that one his friends was caught in the crisis and could likely die. The thought paralyzed him and chilled his heart despite the heat. Seeing Link suddenly charge into the fire snapped Chris out of his stupor. Feeling slightly out of his depth and confident that the Hyrulean could take care of the situation, Chris looked around to see if there was any other way he could help.

Some members of the crowd had run off, possibly to find water to put the fires out. The rest stared stupidly at where they had seen the lone, heroic individual enter the forge. Two had attempted to follow Link but a fresh wave of fire robbed them of their courage. The hellish glow lit up the street like day, allowing the carpenter to make out each person's face clearly. For some reason, one person's appearance drew Chris' attention. Rather than looking worried, the man's expression was one of strange anticipation, like he was watching a play reaching its climax. With a jolt, Chris realized that there was something familiar about the face.

"Hey!" he yelled, slowly approaching the man. "Hey you!"

The man snapped his gaze to Chris then bolted down the road without warning. Knowing for certain that something was suspicious, the woodworker gave chase. The other guy was fast and on a normal day would have vanished into the crowd easily. But this late at night the city was basically deserted so Chris was able to keep his eye on him. The man cleverly dived into side streets and weaved around corners. Chris would have lost him if it hadn't been for the sound of rushing footsteps guiding him.

His body begged for rest yet Chris refused to comply. He didn't stop until he found himself outside of an alley. He was sure that the guy he was chasing had fled that way but the dead end was empty. Thinking that maybe the man was hiding, Chris walked cautiously into the alleyway. A shuffling noise made him look in all directions around him yet there was nothing. Then Chris looked upwards and saw the man climbing halfway up the wall.

Chris charged a ball of shadow magic and threw it upwards. His aim was off but the blast hit the wall right above his intended target. The man flinched and lost his grip then started to fall. He managed to stop himself by grabbing at the pane of a shuttered window but his fingers slipped. The man hit the ground hard, though didn't seem hurt as he soon picked himself up. Realizing that his pursuer was right on top of him, he drew a long knife that glinted in the pale moonlight.

Seeing the blade triggered a flood of emotions as Chris adopted a fighting stance. He remembered the last time an enemy had threatened him with a weapon vividly. He had been filled with so much fear for his own life that it wiped his mind clean of any other thought. It was only by pure blind luck that he had saved himself with his magic, something he wouldn't have been able to do if he had never met Link and his friends. He should have felt proud about winning that fight but his actions back then had caused a lot of hassle for him and his companions. It stripped Chris of that pride and replaced it with cold shame.

Fear and shame, those two things made Chris feel weak, inferior. He hated that feeling, so much so that he did what he had to do to ensure that he would never experience it again. Ilia knew everything about fighting such opponents in his eye, so Chris asked her to teach him how to defend himself physically. Many sleepless nights passed and the carpenter often felt so exhausted his brain went numb, but slowly he learned to fight without magic, or fear. He knew that a few weeks of training could never put him on the same level as either Ilia or Link, but Chris was confident enough that he could deal with this one shady goon alone.

The man stepped forward and swung the knife wide. Chris stepped back away from the blade's path then kicked out his attacker's shin. The knife-wielder hopped backwards in pain then regained his composure. He glared at Chris before approaching more carefully. Chris returned to his original stance and waited nervously for another attack. His heart was pounding in his ears. He knew there was a good chance he could be gutted if he made a mistake. '_Is this how Link always felt during his adventure in Hyrule?_' a part of him wondered. '_How the hell did he put with this for so long?_"

The other man then thrust the knife forward at his opponent's chest. Chris spun on the ball of his foot, turned his hips around and pulled his body sideways as Ilia had made him rehearse a hundred times each night. When the weapon passed him harmlessly, the carpenter grabbed its owner's arm. Chris then wove his other hand under the man's arm then struck at the throat with the tips of rigid fingers. With his adversary stunned and breathless, Chris turned the man's arm over then crushed the wrist while digging his own elbow into the other guy's. The knife-man tried to resist but eventually the carpenter was able to coax an agonized groan from him. When the man's hold on the knife weakened, Chris ripped it from his grasp and tossed it far. Next he kicked his opponent into the nearest wall. The man rebounded painfully and collapsed to the floor.

Chris quickly jumped onto the fallen man and pressed his knee into his groin. As the man hollered in pain, Chris saw enough of his face in the moonlight to recognize him. It was the thug from the tailor shop, the one who escaped. There was no way Chris could forget a mug as ugly as that one. He grabbed the thug by the collar and yanked him up so that their noses were almost touching, all the while still keeping his weight on the man's sensitive area.

"You," Chris growled. "You're responsible for the fire, weren't you?"

The criminal glowered up at him, his mouth twitching from discomfort. "So what if I am?" Anger bubbled inside Chris like a cauldron of boiling oil. He drove his knee down harder, eliciting another yell from the crook.

"Why did you do it?" Chris almost shouted. "Why did you attack the forge like that?"

When the man didn't answer it took Chris a few seconds to realize he was in too much pain to do so. He took some of his weight of the man's groin, just a little. The thug breathed in and out sharply for a moment then spoke through clenched teeth.

"We ruled the market district up north. People respected us. They feared us. That all changed when you and that bastard pal of yours made bloody fools of us. After that people started fighting back, saying that they had enough. There were so many of them we couldn't keep them in line anymore." The man paused and spat. "You freaks ruined everything."

"So you burned Rion's workshop?" Chris shook him furiously. "He had nothing to do with anything!"

"We weren't stupid enough to attack you lot directly, but we still wanted payback. So instead I bombed the blacksmith. We knew you two were chums, so we went after him to send a message. The blonde guy going in to save him was just an added bonus," the thug smiled. "I hope they both die."

Chris finally lost control of his anger and punched the man as hard as he could. His head flung back as his nose exploded with blood. The gangster then went limp and Chris discovered that he had knocked him out. "You stay the hell away from my friends!" he growled at the senseless body. He then released the man's jerkin and stood up. Giving him one last hateful glare, Chris turned away and walked out of the alley, praying to the gods that Link and Rion were both alright.

* * *

Link sat on the hard floor as worried as he was tired and uncomfortable. Lying on the bed in front of him slept Rion wrapped heavily in bandages. The blacksmith's wife sat in the only chair next to the man with her daughter seated on her lap. Dark, red rings circled Hazel's eyes while she watched over her husband with a dead expression. Joining the swordsman on the ground was Midna resting against his shoulder. Ilia sat at his opposite side with Ana's head laid on her soft thigh. Chris stood with his back against the wall and hung his head low, glancing up at every odd noise before looking down again in disappointment. Hazel had told all of them that there was no need for them to stay but none wanted to leave her alone in this time of hardship. So they stayed and waited, together.

As soon as Link had pulled the blacksmith from his burning workshop, he and Midna carried Rion to the nearest medical clinic. The doctor had been less than pleased to have been woken up so late at night but treated his new patient all the same. Midna ran for home to inform Hazel and Ilia and returned to find Link reluctantly receiving his own examination. The worst the hero seemed to be suffering from was smoke inhalation, but the doctor claimed that was no need for concern. Chris had arrived over an hour after everyone else and when interrogated by his twili companion, he gravely explained who had caused the fire as well as why. The tale blanketed the room in a cloak of depression, worry and bitter rage, and was the last anyone spoke for some time.

It was well past midnight when the blacksmith finally made the first signs of stirring. Everyone held their breaths as Rion's eyes slowly opened. He gazed around him like a newborn trying to make sense of its surroundings. Rion's turned his head feebly towards his wife, who smiled tearfully as she took his hand. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered. Julie shifted from her mother's lap and clambered next to Rion, giving him the fiercest hug around his neck.

All the while Rion said nothing. When Julie released him, Rion looked to Hazel with confusion on his face "What happened?" His voice was hoarse and quiet yet everyone heard him. He tried to rise but the effort was too great for him

"Take it easy, you've got a concussion and lost a lot of blood." Link cautioned. "What's the last thing you remember?" The blacksmith seemed surprised to see him there.

"Link..?" Rion then noticed the other people in the room with him. "I remember I was working on this job... something important," he said, scrunching his face in concentration as the memories came back to him. "I had just finished up when something landed on the floor behind me. I turned and saw this... this ball with a fire burning on the side of it. I remember diving behind a worktable then there was this loud bang or something. And then... and then that's it."

Link nodded in understanding. The description of the strange object matched that of the bombs he had used many times in his travels. It also fitted with the damage dealt to the forge. "Rion... Earlier tonight someone threw a bomb into your workshop. We heard the explosion from our house and when we got there the place was on fire. I managed to pull you out but you were already unconscious. It's incredible you even survived."

The blacksmith stared at him wide-eyed. "You did that?" he said quietly, then frowned. "But who...?"

"It was one of the market gangs," Chris answered. "The guy who did it was there when Link and I fought them last month. They were too cowardly to get revenge on us, so they targeted you instead."

"Well the next time you see him, tell him to grow a pair and face me like a man," Rion growled, already showing his usual strength. He, Link and Chris laughed together, but none of them could put much effort into it.

"There's more though," Link said, turning somber again. Rion looked to him in waiting as he drew a long breath. "The blast... You managed to take cover from it... But you weren't fast enough to escape it completely."

Link tried to form the next sentence carefully but found himself unable. Instead he pointed and allowed the blacksmith to follow his finger. Rion's gaze moved to his right side, wrapped in more bandages than any other part of him, and froze. There he saw that the bloodstained cloth covered his arm from the shoulder but stopped just below the elbow, for there was no more arm after that.

"Gods forbid," Rion gasped, raising his new stump to study it. It was in his eyes, that overpowering wish to deny what was, as well as that deep-seated horror when it set in that there was no hope of restoring his lost hand.

Link stared at the injury with his gut wrenching in all sorts of directions. He was no stranger to grievous wounds, having hacked off several limbs from monsters with his sword. But when he entered the forge, flames raging around him, and saw the blood flowing freely from his friend's arm, it was a wonder Link had been able to keep it together. He had torn of part of his white farmer's shirt off in order staunch the bleeding but they needed a proper doctor to help the blacksmith. After finding one, Link replaced his ruined garment with his green tunic once Midna had fetched it for him.

"I'm sorry, Rion," he spoke softly, guilt glistening in his blue irises "It's our fault this happened. We put you in so much danger and now you've paid the price."

Rion listened then shook his head. "Don't apologize,"

"But..." Link began to say.

"I said _don't_," Rion repeated firmly. "Link, back in that forge, the last thing I remember thinking was that I was never going to see my wife and daughter again. I've got another hand still, and that place was mostly stone and iron. None of the things I lost tonight even compares to what I could have if you hadn't rescued me. I owe you my life, and I can never hope to repay you for it."

The blacksmith laid his head back to stare at the ceiling. "But now what?" he sighed. "Without my hand we're in real trouble. I have a family to support, and smithing is all I know. If it had been my other arm I might've been able to get by, but I can't swing a hammer half as well with my left as my right."

Hazel squeezed her husband's hand. Her delicate fingers looked fragile in comparison to his thick, calloused ones. "We'll find a way," she assured him, mustering all the bravery she had. "We always do." Rion gave her a smile, but it didn't stretch very far.

"In the meantime we'll help you make ends meet," Link offered. "It's the least we can do." Rion and Hazel thanked him, their gratitude almost being palpable.

Hanging slightly behind her friends, standing close to her love, Midna chewed her lip contemplatively. "There's this technique my people use," she finally said. "It replaces a twili's missing limbs so that they can live almost normally. I've only ever seen and heard of it, but I think I understand the mechanics behind it. I could teach you, but bear in mind it requires you to learn shadow magic. If you go through with it, people might start treating you like they do us."

Rion stared at her, like everyone else in the room, taking his time to process the information. He looked to his bandaged arm and where four fingers and a thumb had once been. Link could see a glimmer of hope in those dark brown eyes.

"Can you really give me a new hand?" Rion asked her. She nodded once. "Thank you, Midna. I'll think about it. But right now all I want to do is sleep." The blacksmith then closed his eyes and the next sound he made was that of his deep, level breathing. His family and friends moved away from the bed and pulled closed a curtain to separate him from the rest of the room.

Hazel waited a few moments to be sure Rion was fast asleep. When she was satisfied, she turned to Link. "Link, I can't thank you enough for saving my husband. I don't know what I would do without him."

Link nodded, fully understanding that fear of losing the person he loved. Julie threw her little arms around his waist and stared up at him with big brown eyes like her father's. "Thank you for saving my daddy," she said.

A warm feeling expanded in Link's chest and he couldn't help but smile. He returned the hug and whispered. "You're welcome."

* * *

**Wow. Another dark chapter.**

**I have a confession to make. When I published the first chapter, I hadn't actually completed the whole story as I intended. I only finished the last chapter last week and now I'm working on my next project. I will not provide any more information on it, however.**

**Admittedly, the exchange between Link and the tailor was inspired by one of my own misadventures where I had an argument with someone over who gives who this handful of coins. I lost the bout and ended up with $1.30 placed into my wallet. No, that was not a typo.**


	11. Chapter 11: Overstayed Welcome

**Chapter 11: Overstayed Welcome**

Midna stormed down the hallway, each stride radiating the ferocity her mood. The twili barely glanced as she brushed past servants and soldiers alike, the only exception being when she arrived at the fortress gates demanding to see Teryll. Originally the guards had tried to bar her way, but the fury in Midna's eyes and a small spark of black energy quickly melted their resolve. Since then no one dared challenge her.

She approached a set of doors and walked through them without knocking. On the other side, Teryll had been enjoying a light meal and appeared quite shocked to see the shadow woman barging into his office, nearly dropping a piece of hard cheese as a result. "Miss Midna, what a surprise," he said courteously though warily. "To what do I owe this wonderful visit?"

"Cut the pleasantries, Teryll. You know very well why I'm here," the twili replied scornfully.

The nobleman chose an olive and ate it before giving her a puzzled look. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are referring to," he spoke innocently. "Is something amiss?"

"Don't play dumb. Someone tried to break into our house this morning. Unfortunately for them I set up a little security charm. After dangling upside-down for two hours, he was more than willing to tell me what the hell he was doing there. The guy told me he was looking for anything like spell books and scrolls, as if I'd be stupid enough to leave such things just lying around."

Teryll expression was a blank mask. He popped another morsel into his mouth before returning his gaze to the twili's. "Well it seems to me that you had the situation under control. I'll pass what you've told me to the guards and they will take care of the culprit. I thank you for bringing this to my attention, although I fail to see why you'd think I have any knowledge of the incident."

"Oh, really?" Midna's eyes narrowed. She summoned a sheet of yellowed parchment into her hand and slammed it onto the desk in front of Teryll. "This, in case you're wondering, is a letter the thief was holding, telling him to sneak into our home along with what to look for. It also has instructions for him to go meet someone and bring whatever it was he stole. I followed the directions myself and found one of your soldiers waiting for me."

Teryll opened his mouth to speak but Midna cut him off. "By the way, here's your money back." She withdrew a fat pouch of coins and tossed it onto the paper. "You're men have a lot of discipline, I'll give you that, but they're not very smart. Taking on a high-level sorceress on your own with nothing but a sword is a pretty bad idea in most cases."

The Lord of Greywal rose from his chair and scowled at Midna. "Are you insinuating that I have something to do with this? I can have you thrown in prison such an insult!"

Midna wasn't intimidated by the shorter man in the slightest. "Don't bother with the threats. They won't work even if you have the guts to go through with them. And I'm not insinuating anything, that soldier told me specifically that he was following you're orders. Did you really think we would ever teach our magic to you after pulling a stunt like this?"

"As if you ever intended to do so," Teryll spat. "I showered you and your ilk with hospitality and generosity, yet like the parasites you are you give nothing in return. I need shadow magic to make Greywal stronger. I have tried time and time again to convince you to share your knowledge with me but for naught. Yet a lowly blacksmith becomes crippled and suddenly you're teaching him everything you will. I say no more. That is why I've decided to take matters into my own hands."

"Rion wouldn't have been hurt in the first place if you had done your duty as a leader and did something about all the gangs running around," Midna retorted furiously, jabbing a finger at him. "A ruler must always put their people before themselves, but you don't seem to give a half a fig about yours."

"And what could you possibly know about the responsibilities a ruler?" the fat lord sneered.

Midna gave him an icy glare that made him freeze. "Far more than you than you can ever imagine," she said in a deathly composed manner. The twili then turned and headed towards the door. Before she left, Midna looked to Teryll once more. "From now on you leave us alone. If you or anyone working for you comes near us, I promise you'll regret it." And with that she slammed the door shut and vanished before the lord could form a response.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Link said. "You caught someone trying to break into the house, discovered that he was working for Teryll, then you went to the fortress alone and confronted him?! And you always yell at me for being reckless."

Midna crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "It was hardly reckless. What could that bastard have possibly done to harm me? I can take care of myself."

"I know you can but that's not the point," Link shook his head. "Now that you've gone and made an outright enemy of him we've pretty much lost our citizenship here."

"So what? We should have left this place weeks ago with everything else that's happened."

"You're the one who wanted to stay and see what happened when we figured out what Teryll was after," Link argued.

Midna threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. "That was before one of our friends was attacked in the middle of the night. Plus I didn't seriously think the guy was going to take things this far."

The two circled the dining table at opposite ends while Ilia and Chris watched from the side. Finally the former had had enough. "Knock it off, both of you," Ilia snapped. "What's done is done, but now we have to work out what we're going to do next. You two fighting isn't helping one bit."

Link and Midna looked at the young girl hotly. They then sighed in unison and faced to each other again, both calmer than previously. "Okay, maybe I made a bad call," Midna admitted, shuffling awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"You should have told us first before charging off by yourself," Link replied evenly. "But it doesn't matter. Either way, Teryll's becoming a lot more aggressive and it's too dangerous for us to stay any longer. I reckon we should start packing up before we end up with an army at our door."

Just as his companions nodded their agreement, a loud banging sounded from the front door. "Open up for the city guard," a voice boomed.

Midna, Ilia and Chris all stared at Link. "Way to jinx it, wolf-boy," the twili remarked with a raised brow. "What else, Ganondorf's going to rise from the dead and destroy the neighbourhood? Somehow that idea doesn't sound so bad right now."

Link ignored her and crept over to the window. He pulled the curtain back a crack and peered through, seeing a large group of heavily armed soldiers filling the street, some of them on horseback. Stationed on rooftops Link could make out various archers aiming right at the house. The young warrior muttered a curse and retreated from the window. "It's not exactly an army but there's a lot of them and they mean business," he told the others. He was uncertain whether he ought to be annoyed or flattered.

Ilia suddenly became alarmed as she cupped her hands to her mouth. "Oh, goddesses. Ana's at Julie's right now!" Her worry and panic was then shared by the rest of the room.

"I'm sure she's fine," Link assured her. "We'll get her, but we need to get rid of these guys first." The door banged once again as he worked furiously to formulate a plan. The voice outside threatened to break down the door if they did not come out and surrender.

"Midna, Ilia, do you think you can hold them off for a bit?" Link said at last.

The twili peeked through the curtains to assess the guard force herself. "Between the two of us, those guys won't be a problem. Those archers might be a different matter though."

"Leave them to me," Link replied. Link was about to run up the stairs when Chris stepped in front of him.

"What can I do?" he asked.

Link paused for a quick second as he thought up an answer. "Give me hand upstairs. Let's see how good your aim is." Chris nodded and together they made haste to the second floor. Once there, Link pulled out his bow and quiver then gestured for Chris to take position in the next room before taking cover by the window. Again Link surveyed the outside, carefully noting the placement of each adversary. Plucking out an arrow, he waited for the opportune moment to make his move.

He heard the sound of banging again followed by the loud cracks of wood snapping. Barely a second later Link saw a wave of darkness flow out into the street, knocking over a good number of knights in the process. In the confusion, Link raised the window using his magic and drew his bow. At his fingers' release, the arrow sailed forward and struck one of the archers below the chest. The unfortunate soul clutched at the wound as his feet gave out then rolled off the roof. Not bothering to see if the man was still alive, Link notched another arrow and fired it at the next archer. From the other side of the landing, dark bursts of energy shot at more of the bowmen. Though not all of the blasts were accurate, they succeeded in startling their intended targets and knocking them from their perches.

Down below, the girls had moved out into the open where they unleashed great havoc. Midna hurled teams of soldiers at once with waves of her hands and sent them hurtling into walls and other objects. Beside the twili, Ilia threw showers of shadowy daggers at her enemies, embedding themselves in gaps in their victims' armor more oft than not. Although Link only saw from the edge of his vision, a third person had joined the fray and struck at the soldiers with something resembling a club. Several of the knights managed to endure the injuries they received and pressed on, only to be put down again shortly after regaining their feet. In the span of a couple of minutes, the entire troop had been crushed with no apparent harm to any of the shadow magicians.

Link scanned the area and was pleased to find that no reinforcements were approaching. Returning his bow and quiver into storage, Link climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground, using levitation to slow his descent. Chris had taken the more conventional method down and emerged through the front door moments later. They joined the proudly grinning women in the middle of a pool of armor-clad bodies. Link then had a good look at the fifth person in their company and was pleased to recognize Rion. "Thanks for the help there," he said.

"Saw the buggers march past my shop. Knew they were up to no good so I came to lend a hand," Rion replied, grinning at the irony of his words. Hanging by the blacksmith's side was a large iron hammer held in a thick shadowy tendril extending from his right arm. The ethereal shape wavered for an instant and the makeshift weapon fell with a heavy _clang_. The blacksmith muttered a curse and reached down to pick it up, "Still getting used to this thing."

"Doing pretty well so far, I'd say," Midna said, sweeping her gaze around at the big man's handiwork. Rion chuckled in response.

Midna's idea to replace Rion's mutilated limb was to construct a new one using shadows. The two spent much time together as Midna labored tirelessly to train her latest student. Through a great deal of effort, Rion had become able to use his new skills to resume the work he loved in record time, even if he commented that the quality of his products had decreased somewhat. He still had some difficulty in controlling the substitute arm precisely, as well as maintaining its shape and solidity, but practice would be the solution to each of those problems.

"So any particular reason these louts are here?" Rion glanced at the fallen soldiers. A few of them squirmed feebly where they lay, groaning pathetically as they teetered in and out of consciousness.

"Long story short; Teryll wants our magic and is getting desperate," Ilia answered. "I think he hoped that superior numbers would help them capture us, not that it did them much good."

The blacksmith gave a slow nod. "Sounds like it might be time to skip town. How quickly can you get ready to move?"

"Shouldn't be too long," Link said. "Cleaning the house out will only take a few minutes for us. Then we need to fetch Ana and grab our horses."

"But what about you and your family?" Midna then asked Rion. "The guards are going to be coming after you as well, especially since you've brained some of their comrades."

"Never said we were staying," the metalworker replied. "I've got a wagon but I'll need a bit of help loading it up. Got some equipment and keepsakes I can't bear to part with."

Link nodded once and turned to his beloved. "Midna, go with Rion and give him a hand. I'll take care of things here." He then looked at his remaining two companions. "Ilia, Chris, you two run to the stables and bring the horses ready to go."

He watched as the group divided and the pairs hurried off in opposite directions. Link then re-entered the house to fulfill his own task. He went through the place systematically, snapping out of existence everything worth taking. Food, clothes, linen, utensils, personal valuables, they all went. Link left the furniture since much of it was old or in poor condition, and would only be excess baggage. Once he was done, Link double-checked to see if there was anything that he missed.

Using his magic to carry so many things on his own was tiring, Link had long since learned. The larger and heavier an object was, the more physically demanding it was to stow, although it was far less effort than actually carrying it. It sort of felt similar to hefting a pack full of rocks on his back. Like building muscle, practice had enhanced Link capabilities but holding the contents of an entire house was still no small feat. Not for the first time, he wondered how Midna had coped with lugging around the various items they collected on their quest, particularly the iron boots, spinner and ball with chain. Even after all the time that they had been together, he still knew little about his girlfriend's true limits.

With nothing more to do, Link waited for his friends to return. It wasn't an easy thing as the swordsman's mind pestered him with concerns for their safety. He told himself again and again that they could handle any trouble they met. Logically it was Link who was in the most danger. He was completely alone, and if any more soldiers came then he was sitting in the most likely place they would strike. Link only wished he could believe in that rationale.

Minutes later the clattering of hooves brought Link to his feet, sword in hand. Peering outside cautiously he was relieved to see familiar faces. He walked out into the street and watched as Ilia and Chris rode up on Chance and Nicker respectively, Epona trailing close behind. The third horse cantered without rider or lead for she could be trusted to follow Ilia on her own initiative. Had she not, Link could have easily called Epona by blowing his horse whistle. The swordsman climbed atop his mare's saddle and led his companions to meet up with Midna. At the forge, Link's heart caught in his throat when he discovered three limp bodies of Greywal guards lying in their own blood.

He leapt from Epona's back and ran towards the fire-damaged structure. "Midna!" Link shouted with panic in his voice. "Midna!" He scanned madly around the workshop but found much of the interior bare.

"Link, over here!" he heard the twili call. The swordsman turned to see Midna step out from the house next door. By her side she held her sword, its blade red with fresh blood. Link ran up to her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. When Midna hissed in response he pushed back and noticed a red stained strip of cloth wrapped tightly around her upper arm.

"Farore, you're hurt," he exclaimed. He caressed the wound tenderly in his hand, rubbing the discoloured spot with his thumb and finding it damp and cool to the touch.

Midna pulled her arm from his grasp and looked at him with a gentle smile. "I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound. I thought I'd get some sword practice in when those stragglers showed up."

Link shook his head. "You should have been more careful," he chastised.

The twili gave a slight frown then punched him on the shoulder. "Well thanks for the praise," she said sarcastically, "Come on, three against one with only a minor injury? Even you have to admit that's impressive."

Link scowled at her but his pride finally got the best of him. "Okay," he cracked a smile, "I guess that was pretty good." He then became serious again. "How are things here?"

"Ilia!" a tiny voice cried out as Ana came rushing out from the house. The farm girl knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank the goddesses you're alright," Ilia sighed.

The child looked up at her surrogate mother, her fringe falling over her bright blue eyes. "Midna said we're leaving. Is it true?"

Ilia brushed the girl's hair from her face. "Yes, sweetie. It's too dangerous for us here now."

"I don't wanna go!" Ana protested. "I wanna stay with Julie!" Ilia was about to reply when Hazel approached with Julie by her side.

"It's okay, Ana." The older woman spoke softly. "We'll be coming with you so you don't need to worry."

Both children beamed though Link turned to Hazel with a sober expression. "Are you and Rion sure about this? You're giving up everything and we have no idea how things are going to go from here."

The blacksmith's wife gave him a smile, a gentle one tinted with sadness. "We're sure. Honestly I can't wait to see the last of this city. Ever since the bomb attack, I haven't felt the least bit safe."

"If we stay and you go then Teryll will probably think of me as his consolation prize," Rion added, appearing from the around the corner. He sat in the driver's seat of a small merchant's wagon. A grey gelding towed the cart and looked as though it was in its later years. The blacksmith waved his shadow hand to push his point. "And don't worry yourself about us. So long as we all stick together it'll turn out alright. It'll be an honor for us to travel with you all."

Link could only smile and nod. "Likewise," he said then faced Midna once more. "So as I was saying..."

"We were just finished when you arrived," she said. "I'm holding most of their belongings but we've loaded Rion's gear in the wagon. There was no way in hell I was carrying that anvil around. Luckily Rion and Hazel don't own too much... No offense, I mean."

"None taken," Rion chortled. "Have less and keep life simple, I say. Pity we can't bring the furnace along. Suppose I'll just have to build a new one later."

Before anyone could say anything else, a shout ripped through the air and drew everyone's attention to the flood of soldiers marching quickly down the road. Their weapons were drawn and their armor clattered noisily as they moved. More soldiers came from the other direction, aiming to catch their quarry in a vice. Link watched one side approach and raised his sword and shield. "Damn, there are a lot of them."

"I've got this," Midna said. She charged a large orb of black and crimson magic then threw it high into the air. The orb then exploded into a cluster of smaller shapes that rained down around the group in a ring of meteors. When each projectile struck the ground, a thin black spire was erected in its place. As the armed forces were closing in, the spikes flashed red and a transparent wall of the same hue connected them to form a giant barrier. While his friends gasped in awe, Link broke a smile as he understood what the twili had done. Never before had he been so glad to be inside a shadow beast trap.

"Nice," he praised, watching the soldiers clubbed their weapons fruitlessly against the ethereal walls.

"Now that we have some breathing room, I can focus," Midna said. "Hang on everyone. This is going to be a little rough." Link's neck hairs tingled in anticipation as felt his body break apart and the world turned black. His sight suddenly returned to him, albeit the city street with the vicious army of troops had been replaced with quiet woodland. Link lost his balance for a split second, having not experienced warping in a long time.

Behind him his companions fared worse than he did. Rion clutched desperately at his seat with his good hand for support. Hazel was on her knees, face as white as a ghost. Chris wobbled slightly as he held Ilia, who moaned as though she was about to be sick. Both Ana and Julie had collapsed to the earthy ground, conscious but too shaky to rise. Epona and the other horses pranced about in a frazzled state yet none had the energy to bolt. Link barely caught Midna before her legs gave out from under her. Her body was slick with light sweat and trembled from exertion.

"Never had to warp so many things at once," she mumbled when he asked if she was okay. Link carried her over to a nearby tree and lowered her gently to rest against its narrow trunk. Then he set out to calm the animals before settling down next to the twili.

While they recovered from their recent ordeal no one spoke a word. After maybe ten minutes, Rion picked his head up to examine the surrounding environment. "Where are we?" he said weakly. Some of the color had returned to his skin but he was still a little pale.

"Emerald Grove," Midna answered in a quiet voice. She tried to say more but failed. Fortunately Link was able to take over now that he knew their location.

"We made camp here once during our travels. There's a village about an hour's ride west from here. Back then it was early winter and we weren't sure whether our supplies would last us until we reached the next town. We set up a portal here just in case we ran into any trouble." '_Not unlike now,_' he added mentally. Link closed his eyes and drew a crude map in his head. "I'd say we're two weeks away from Greywal, so we ought to be in the clear."

"Especially since they don't know where we went," Ilia managed to add, lying against a moss-covered stone by a flowing stream. Link nodded in response and leaned back into the tree trunk. All the stress and expenditure of his mana had left him weary. Less so than the others to be sure, but still he was in no hurry to get back onto his feet. Relaxing beside Midna, Link's mind began to wander. Though his thoughts ranged widely, among the foremost ones was that for the time being they were safe.

* * *

The moon shone brightly through the forest canopy over the travelers' camp. Although they had regained most of their strength, none of the group of eight felt up to the trek to civilization so they remained below the dormant portal. Once dusk crept in, Link and Chris went out to collect wood and started a fire, which helped to lift their spirits with warmth and a hot meal. Conversation started to flow not long after, most of which pertained to what their next course of action was. While it was largely undecided, there was a unanimous agreement that they would travel in the direction _away_ from the city they had just escaped.

When the hour grew late, the band turned in for what would be a restless night. The shadow magicians slept in their respective tents while Rion's family stayed inside the wagon, after some rearranging of its contents. There was no telling what could be lurking within the darkness, so Link volunteered to take the first watch and sat atop a hollow log with his sword close at hand. Insects chirped and owls hooted but otherwise the forest was remarkably quiet. Nonetheless, Link stayed vigilant, his warrior instincts as sharp as his steel.

"Mind if I join you," said a female voice. Link heard Midna before she spoke and wrapped his arm around her with a smile as she huddled at his side.

"Trouble sleeping?"

"It's not the same without my favorite pillow," she replied, resting her head against his shoulder. "Mmm, that's better."

Link chuckled. He was pleased to see that Midna was feeling more like her old self again. "Some day, huh?"

"You can say that again. So here we are back on the road, living it rough and going wherever the wind takes us."

"Yeah," Link said sullenly. "Even though things went sour a few times, it was nice to have a proper home for a while."

"Maybe next time we'll have more luck." Midna then smirked. "I reckon the boss is going to get pretty mad when we don't show up for work tomorrow. He'll probably fire us. That'll suck." She giggled and Link shook his head. Only Midna could joke about at such at bleak time. On the other hand, it was her lighthearted personality that always diffused the tension whenever it threatened to crush him. It was one of the many things he loved about her.

"Come on, stop being so glum," she nudged him. "We sorted out our lives once, so we can do it again."

He looked to her and managed a small smile. "So long as we stick together, am I right?"

Midna gave him a toothy grin and kissed him. "Exactly."

* * *

**I want you to bear in mind that like much of the story up until now, the following chapters will be split apart by time skips, some of them many months at a time.**

**Has anybody noticed yet that Rion is an anagram for iron? I also made a LoZ reference back in chapter 7. It's not too hard to find but see if you can spot it.**


	12. Chapter 12: Further Down the Path

**Thanks for the reviews guys. It does help. So far I've learnt of two things I could have improved on, and that means I know how to make my next story much better.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Further Down the Path**

The flies had been annoying Link all day. They buzzed around his head in swarms just to taste the sweat coating his skin. He would swat at one yet he was never fast enough, and as soon as the bothersome insect flew away another would perch somewhere else on his face. It was a losing battle with a never ending cycle. It was simply too hot that day.

Epona too was covered in the black menaces as well. The crawled along her neck, on her flanks and around her rump. The horse used her tail to remove the flies at her rear but for the rest she had no choice but to ignore them. Apart from the little pests, Epona was faring pretty well. They were moving at a leisurely pace, her load was light in relation to the animal's impressive strength, and even though they had been travelling since early morning, Epona had more than enough energy to keep going for longer or break into a run if her rider fancied it.

Sadly there were few others in their company that shared their level of endurance. "Hey, Link!" the green-clad swordsman heard Chris call out. "You think we can stop for a break soon? Half the group's starting to fall behind."

Link twisted around to peer over his shoulder. True to the woodworker's statement, many of the horses following Epona were indeed showing signs of exhaustion and were losing speed. Their riders were no better, some were hunched over limply and more than a couple were fidgeting in their seats from soreness. The heat was having a draining effect on the party and a lot of the animals simply weren't bred to travel long distances for extended periods of time. It wouldn't do for any of either man or beast to pass out when they still had so much further to go.

"Okay," he said. "We'll make camp when we reach the next hill. Pass the word along." Once the caravan had stopped several minutes later, almost everyone dismounted with obvious relief on their faces. As smaller groups formed and people began pulling out foodstuffs and utensils for a long-awaited lunch, Link surveyed the band.

Since leaving Greywal, much had happened to the Hero of Light and his friends. Rion and his family had joined them on their journey for a new home and had stuck with them through thick and thin. Along the way they visited many different places and met many different kinds of people. Some of those people decided to tag along with the shadow magicians, and each had their own unique reason for doing so.

One example was the man named Marcus. Link and his companions had come across him while wandering the streets of a dusty mining town. The swordsman had heard singing from a voice as clear as crystal and as smooth as honey. Curious, Link had followed the sound to find a man bundled in a tatty, old cloak on the side of the road. A small wooden bowl sat beside him containing various donations from passersby, a reward for the shrouded man's beautiful songs.

Strangely the man kept his face hidden. Even when he thanked someone for dropping a coin or rupee into the bowl, he never raised his head to look at the person. After a spell of silent observation, Link went up to the singer to ask why he covered himself so. Gingerly, the beggar pushed his cowl back to reveal a face full of horrific burns. Marcus explained that his house had burned down several months prior and had barely escaped with his life, but not his appearance. People took great pains to avoid gazing upon his scars so he donned his cloak and used his vocal talents to scrape a living.

Midna had taken pity on the poor soul and offered him food as well as a spare cloak in far better condition. For reasons not even she understood at the time, the twili even taught the man to use magic like she had with Rion. It was out of the ordinary. She knew nothing of the person she was helping and was giving him a potentially dangerous power. Even so, by the end of the week Marcus had created himself a new face of seamless shadows and had nothing but gratitude to show for it. The townspeople rejected the singer worse than before, and so he made the decision to join the sorcerers in hopes of one day repaying their kindness. Since then his songs had been a welcome addition to daily travel and had done wonders to lift the group's spirits when times were harsh.

Other stories were much different. Another man by the name of Devan had once been a solitary adventurer, moving from place to place to explore the marvels of the world. The magicians came across Devan when he had been under attack by a bear. Naturally Link jumped in to aid the imperilled traveller and the forest became one bear shorter. Eager to swap stories with the friendly swordsman, Devan tagged along with the group, although initially it had been intended as a temporary affair. When he had learned of the group's magic, it was then that Devan decided to stay on a more permanent basis, his inquisitive nature being drawn to learn more of the otherworldly art. Thankfully there was no malice hidden within that curiosity.

In time more and more people repeated the cycle. The shadow magicians assisted each person in some dire circumstance and in return that person would integrate themselves into the band. Over the course of seventeen months, the company had swelled from eight members to nineteen men and women, including five children. Some of those numbers were comprised of families who like Rion's had lost their previous homes or abandoned them in pursuit for a better life. Every single member of the current company knew of shadow magic and more than a handful were actually practicing it. Link and Midna trusted each and every one of them with the arcane knowledge, and not one person seemed likely to betray that trust or defect from the group. For want of a better word, they had become a tribe.

Of course, just as the tribe shared its gifts it also shared its curses. Lord Teryll's mission to acquire shadow magic had not ended at Greywal. He sent search parties to hunt down the sorcerers and bring at least one back alive if possible. As word spread across the land, more kingdoms became aware of the group's existence. Some ambitious kings and lords followed Teryll's example and wanted shadow magic for themselves. More paranoid ones gave out orders to hunt and kill the magicians, believing them to be no more than demons to be slain before they can cause harm.

As a result, the tribe were always on their toes and never stayed in one place for longer than a week or two. The tribe's numbers offered security against pursuing bounty hunters and smaller military units but it reduced their speed greatly, making it easier for hostiles to chase them down. To counteract this threat, the group made use of the many portals Midna created every now and again. If it was suspected that an attack was likely in the immediate future, the whole tribe would warp to a faraway portal then would continue on in a new direction. It was a brilliant method of keeping their enemies guessing. It was too bad Midna did most of the work and it left her exhausted each time.

The tribe had long since given up the idea of taking up residence in towns and cities. There was simply too many of them to assimilate into the populace without drawing unwanted attention. Once they had tried to do so in a city ruled by a more compassionate leader, but before the season turned soldiers from some other nation came marching in to either capture or eliminate the shadow magicians. To Link's appreciation the city's lord defended the tribe, however when additional factions joined the assault Link decided that it was better for everyone's sake if the tribe left. Six of the city's civilians left with them that day, becoming shadow magicians themselves.

So the tribe then resigned to life as nomads, travelling wherever the wind took them. They made their living by using their individual skills to produce items to trade at the next town. Chris built carts, chairs, tables, toys and anything else he could craft from the various types of wood the tribe came across. Rion forged tools, weapons and trinkets using whatever metals he could procure, using magic to set up his workshop each day. Devan and some of the other group members went hunting for meats and pelts to either sell or use for the tribe's own benefit. Even Marcus had made himself a little troupe that would perform for people's enjoyment. They would sing, dance, act, do tricks and even demonstrate their magic on occasion in return for coin. Whatever a person's talent was, they used it to make a contribution for the rest of the tribe. Only the younger ones were spared such responsibilities.

Link smiled at the people around him. He knew every face and every name. He knew what kind of people they where, what their lives were like before they met, and what tasks they were good or bad at. Their practice of magic and the possible dangers posed by outside communities made the tribe a close-knit group. Although he had never expected things to turn out the way they had, these men and women who walked beside Link had become his new family. Around each other they had no reason to hide who they were, no reason to be afraid. They shared both their joys and their troubles. Still wearing the smile on his lips, Link sat down with Midna, Ilia, Ana and Chris and gladly tucked into a bowl of delicious hot stew. His mood soured slightly when he recalled the flies swarming around his food.

He had just wolfed down the last of his second serving when something on the far side of the camp caught Link's attention. Three of the men were standing together at the perimeter facing towards the distance. Following their line of sight, Link saw a large group of people approaching down the beaten track. More heads turned to watch the foreign company, some looking in interest, apprehension or both. The tribe was very wary of outsiders, particularly whilst on the road. '_At what point did we become so distrustful?_' Link wondered sadly as he waded through the camp to investigate, his closest companions tailing close behind.

The alert trio all turned their heads when they heard the young swordsman approach. One of them was Rion, accompanied by the wild-bearded Devan and a bald, middle-aged man named Donnel. Well... it might have been Donnel, or it was his twin brother Ozcar. It was hard to tell most times. Giving the men a brief nod in greeting, Link stared out at the advancing party. He pulled out his hawkeye and donned the telescopic mask to get a better look. He counted fifteen riders, all women with tanned skin and blood-red hair, and well-armed. While the women were obviously aware of the other group, they didn't seem alarmed or ready to attack. Replacing the hawkeye, Link began walking to meet them halfway.

Four of the female riders broke away from the rest of their group and came to a halt no less than a few metres from the warrior and his companions. One of the women dismounted from her horse and swept a casual gaze across the strangers. She then stopped at the crippled metalworker. "Are you the leader of this group?" she asked in a deep yet enchanting voice.

Rion gave a short chuckle. "No, ma'am. I'm just a humble smith. You'd want to be talking to Link over there." He pointed at the warrior with a elbow-length gloved hand concealing his shadow arm, which had become more hand-shaped thanks to over a year of practice.

Link cringed internally. Despite the fact he never volunteered for it, the rest of the tribe looked to him for leadership. They followed his word as if every simple request was an order. It was true that he had once been expected to be the next mayor for his home village, but that was a long time ago and he never really had any aspiration to be a leader. Nonetheless, he gritted his teeth and performed the responsibility as best as he could. It hadn't been easy, especially since he had to ensure that every single person in the group stayed safe in a world that showed them little kindness.

The woman looked to Link with a surprised expression, clearly shocked to be directed to someone so young. She quickly composed herself. "Link, is it? Well then, good day to you. I am Shara, head of the Rock Viper Clan."

"Good day to you, too," Link responded respectfully. "You already know my name, but unfortunately our group doesn't have one itself."

"The Rock Viper clan," Ilia interjected, a keen tone ringing in her voice. "Then you would be Shara Red-Sand, right?"

Shara looked to the girl with mild interest. "Why yes, that would be me. Are you a fan?"

"Sort of. You see, you fought my mother many years ago. I can't believe I actually got to meet you," Ilia exclaimed excitedly.

"I've fought lots of people, girl." the swordswoman waved her off. "Not as many women as men but your mother could be any one of them. I doubt I'd remember her."

Frowning slightly, Ilia crossed her arms. "I don't think so. It's hard to forget someone after they beat you."

Shara blinked. "Beat me..? Impossible, there's only ever been one per... You're mother's name isn't Marybelle, is it?"

"Yes!" Ilia beamed. "She told me that you're one of the toughest people she's ever fought."

The tanned woman slapped her thigh and threw her head back with a laugh. "Good ol' Quicksilver Mary. Can't believe I didn't see the resemblance. I never met another girl half as skilled as her in your species."

Link turned to his childhood friend in confusion. "Okay, I think I'm missing some context here. Do you know this woman, Ilia?"

"Of course," she answered. "Shara Red-Sand is one of the fiercest gerudo warriors alive." She then turned to Shara. "My mother told me so much about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Link had rarely seen Ilia so energetic before. Usually the only things that could set her off like that are baby horses. He then thought about what the country girl had said. Gerudo, he heard about them before. They were supposed to be a race of warriors and thieves that once populated the desert near Hyrule for whom it was named after. According to rumor, they were an almost all-female society and relied on other humanoid races to reproduce. Of course, Link's only true experience with the gerudo had been his battle against Ganondorf more than two years ago. At least the stories of the desert dwellers' proficiency in armed combat were not exaggerations.

"I'm surprised Marybelle ever settled down," Shara commented. "I certainly hope it wasn't with that fat oaf Bo," she said with distaste.

"He's my father," Ilia bristled.

The gerudo's brows shot up. "Oh... Forgive me if I gave offence, although I still say the man's an oaf. How is your mother? Is she well?"

Ilia averted her gaze sadly. "She... she passed away a few years ago."

Shara gave her a sympathetic look. "I see. I'm sorry for your loss. How did she die, if I may ask?"

"It was a fever. We couldn't save her no matter how hard we tried."

Shara sighed sadly. "It's not the way I'd want to go but I suppose there less pleasant ways to kick the bucket. She was an inspiring woman, and a good friend. She had my highest respect."

"Thank you," Ilia replied. After a silent moment she looked up at the gerudo woman. "If it's not too much trouble, I have a request."

Shara raised one eyebrow in interest. "Shoot."

Ilia took a deep breath then met her gaze with determination. "I'd like to challenge you. I want to test myself against you."

A few tense seconds passed as the gerudo studied her carefully. She searched for any fear, any hesitation, but was pleased to find none. "I was hoping you'd ask," she said, wearing a confident grin. Shara then gestured to her sisters-in-arms. "Alright, girls. Clear some room. Let's see what this kid's got."

As ordered, the other three gerudo reared their mounts a couple of meters. Link, Midna and the rest too moved back until there was a fair distance between the two factions again. The remaining members of the groups closed in for a closer look. Ilia pulled out both of her knives and took a stance while Shara drew a long, curved scimitar from the scabbard at her hip. The two stood perfectly still as they each sized the other up.

"Okay girl, we'll keep going until first blood," Shara said, twirling her blade. "Don't hold anything back, because you can be damned sure I won't."

Ilia nodded her agreement with the terms. "I'm ready," she declared.

Before Ilia had even finished her short sentence Shara had already moved. The gerudo came at her like lightning, sword arcing overhead. Ilia barely dodged the attack then retaliated with a slash from her throwing knife, only for Shara to spin round and block with the back of her blade. Shara then leaped backwards when Ilia attacked with her second weapon.

"Well, well," the swordswoman grinned, "you actually were ready. This will be fun." She changed into a defensive stance, permitting her opponent to make the next move.

Ilia advanced and jabbed at the gerudo's torso. With a flick of her hand Shara swatted the small blade aside and stepped in to slice Ilia on the wrist. The human fighter anticipated the action and deflected the scimitar with her other knife. The movement was awkward however, and Ilia retreated to a safe distance to avoid a counterattack. As soon as she regained her balance, Ilia used both her blades to catch the scimitar close to the guard and intercept a horizontal slice. She was grateful for the countless hours of training with Link and his heavier sword to build up her strength and reflexes.

The bout continued in the form of a deadly dance. Each side moved and twirled gracefully, and cut and parried with masterful skill. The onlooking crowd watched with fixated anticipation, a few from Ilia's group whispered wagers to friends and gerudo alike. Link frowned at the bets being made but said nothing of it, instead focusing on the fight with keen observation. If by some chance Ilia lost then Link wanted to see what techniques her opponent used to do so. Such knowledge would be valuable for Ilia's training as well as his own.

The end came suddenly. Ilia's longer dagger glinted like a shimmering serpent as she lunged forward. Rather than deflect the incoming blade, Shara took an unexpected risk and sliced her sword at Ilia's wrist directly. Ilia cried out in pain, dropping her weapon as the strength left her hand. Blood began to flow freely from the laceration. Shara cleaned her sword and returned it to its sheath, her eyes never leaving the young girl.

"You've impressed me, girl, but the fight's mine," she said with admiration.

Ilia gripped at her wound to staunch the bleeding and looked at the gerudo woman with a pained smirk. "Are you sure about that?"

Shara stared at her in confusion then saw the smaller knife Ilia held by the tips of her fingers and the red coating its steel. She then glanced at the wet crimson patch surrounding a cut on the side of shirt, wincing as though she had only just noticed the injury.

"When did you...?" she gasped. She then returned her gaze to Ilia and laughed heartily. "It's just like Mary. She always had some trick up her sleeve to keep things interesting. I suddenly feel twenty years younger." She laughed again. "Thank you, Ilia. I know that wherever she is, you're mother would be proud of you."

Ilia's smile couldn't have been broader. "Thank you, Shara. That means a lot to me."

* * *

Even after the fight was over, people still debated on the outcome. Everyone had been so convinced that Shara had won with her reckless final move that no one seen when or how Ilia had cut the gerudo. Sadly, Ilia's recount didn't make things any clearer. The adrenaline rush that enhanced immediate awareness and reflexes had the unfortunate side-effect of making recollections of events very fuzzy. Though there were a few arguments, it was ultimately decided by the combatants that the match was a draw.

Afterwards the gerudo tribe and the shadow group intermingled for a period, swapping stories, information as well as goods. The gerudo were destined the nearest trading town, the same one Link's group had come from recently. The gerudo planned to sell gemstones and rare plants from the nearby desert region in exchange for food, timber and cloth among other necessary items. Some of those items the shadow magicians had in surplus, being unable to sell all of it at the markets. One of the benefits of shadow magic is that they were able to transport far more cargo than would normally have been possible. To Link's dismay however, Shara had noticed this little detail as well.

"It's curious that you're carrying so much stock, given your means to do so," she said, eyeing the six wagons to serve nineteen people, half of which were meant to transport people without horses of their own. "I find it hard to believe you can fit it all. It's almost like... magic."

Link tensed at the word but did his best to act casual. "It's amazing how much you can cram into a cart when you organize it properly," he shrugged. He then swatted a couple of flies that had landed on his neck but missed both.

Shara turned her stare to the swordsman. "Or perhaps it is as I said." She then smiled wickedly. "Let's stop playing coy. You people are that group that dabbles in dark magic I've heard about."

Awkward silence fell as every member of the human tribe within earshot tensed and glared indirectly at the gerudo woman. "That's quite an assumption to make," Link frowned, a touch of hostility creeping into his voice.

Shara did not seem fazed by the sudden change in the mood. If anything she smiled at it in satisfaction. "It's more than an assumption. Rumors tell that the particular group I am talking about is led by a young warrior, always accompanied by a strange woman with bluish skin and fiery red hair. Remarkably, you and the girl next to you fit that description. I also find it odd for someone your age to be the leader of a group as large as this, especially when many of them are much older than you."

The swordsman's glare intensified. "You can relax. I'm not looking for a fight; I already had my fill with your friend here. I'm simply asking that we be more honest with each other."

Link maintained his expression and then sighed in defeat. He couldn't believe the gerudo had found him out so quickly, even though it had been over a year since he removed the shadows that used to adorn his body. "Alright, you caught me. Yes, we're the shadow magicians. Sorry for the deception, but it's getting more risky for us to reveal ourselves these days. And for the record, we practice shadow magic, not dark. There's a difference." Seeing that the tension had been resolved, the onlooking humans returned to their own business, some still keeping a watchful eye on the desert women.

"I understand," Shara answered. "There was a time when our people were treated with such suspicion. In olden days we were renowned as bandits, and there was one particular incident involving one of our past kings and the land of Hyrule. Things are easier nowadays, but when something important goes missing fingers are notoriously quick to point to us first.

"So," she added, "are you going to divulge your group's name to me now, or are we still holding secrets?"

"Like I said earlier; we don't have a name," Link replied. "We never really needed one up until now."

The gerudo gawped at him in genuine surprise. "What? Are you really telling me that a group with your reputation doesn't have a name to call yourselves? It's part of the identity for goddesses' sake! 'That group of shadow magicians roaming around the countryside' is simply too long for conversation."

"She makes a good point," Midna agreed, smirking. "I'd feel bad for all the people who'd bite their tongues trying to say that over and over."

Link scratched the back of his head. "Umm, okay. Well how about... uhhhhh." He tried to come up with a good name yet for the life of him he couldn't produce one he liked.

"I know; we could be the Shadow Wolves!" Ilia exclaimed after Link struggled for another minute.

He stared at her curiously and Shara nodded in approval. "A good name," she said. "Fearsome, simple and relevant. The three basic requirements in my opinion."

"It's fitting alright," Midna grinned at her friend. "Especially with present company considered." She gave the swordsman a sidewards glance, causing Link to shift uncomfortably.

Shara looked at them curiously but thankfully did not query on the twili's meaning. She then directed a broad smile in Link's direction. "In that case, it has been an honor to meet you, Link of the Shadow Wolf Tribe."

The name sounded strange in the hero's ears although it did have a nice ring to it. He smiled and said in response, "Thank you. It's been an honor meeting you as well, Shara of the Rock Viper Clan."

That day could not have been more extraordinary in Link's mind. While he had expected nothing special to happen, so much of the kind had. They made a new ally, they made an extra profit, Ilia fulfilled a childhood dream, and the tribe found itself a name. It was perhaps that last part that held the most meaning to the young warrior. Their group felt just like a family and it was like having a name made the whole thing feel real. From that point on he would carry the title Shadow Wolf with pride.

* * *

"Link, I have a surprise for you."

The swordsman glanced up from the small cooking fire he was tending to and saw Ilia approaching with her hands behind her back. From her smile Link wasn't sure if he should be excited or worried by this 'surprise'. The cynical side of him believed it was wiser to select the latter, especially around Ilia. When his friend stood right before him she pulled out her hands, revealing a neatly folded piece of black cloth. Link took the article and shook it out. The bundle unfolded into a hooded cloak. He noticed various bright-green patterns sewn into the fabric, many of which he recognized as twili glyphs.

"What's this?" he asked, instantly realizing his mistake.

"It's a cloak, dog-brain," Midna teased from a nearby stool. "You wear it and it's supposed to keep you warm." She placed down the book she was reading and rose to stand beside her lover, inspecting the garment closely.

"I can see that," Link retorted irritably. "What I mean is why is Ilia giving me this?"

"Well you know how we've been calling ourselves the Shadow Wolves?" the country girl explained. "I thought we should be more formal about it, so I made this. Since you're pretty much our chief, I'm giving you the first one."

Link groaned at the title she gave him. Ever since the group officially became a tribe, everyone saw fit to refer to him as 'chief' or some similar title. The name made him feel ridiculous, which Midna picked up on early and went out of her way to encourage the behavior for the fun of it. He decided to focus on the cloak in his hands. The material was of good quality. It wasn't too rough yet it would likely endure the conditions of heavy travel. The green designs impressed him even more with the obvious skill and effort that had gone into making them.

"Midna helped me with those," Ilia said when he made comment. "Altogether they represent a strong leader, a highly-skilled warrior, and a fierce, protective spirit." Link blushed, and felt more awkward holding the cloak.

"You certainly made this pretty quick," he commented. "We only gave ourselves a name a few days ago."

Ilia shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Actually, I've been working on that for a couple of weeks now. Midna knew about it but I made her promise not to tell you until I was finished."

"This is really good," the twili praised, running a finger along one of the seams. "I didn't know you could sow this well."

"Yeah. Believe it or not, Ilia actually has a feminine side. Ow!" Link complained as the blonde-haired girl punched him hard on the arm.

Midna smirked at the hero rubbing his wounded bicep. "You deserved that. Now stop crying and try the cloak on."

He gave her another glare then slipped the garment over his tunic. It was a little big but was otherwise quite comfortable. Ilia had him pull up the cowl and he found that it would cover most of his face if he kept his head low. Both women checked Link over with approval. The swordsman only wished he had a mirror so that he could see himself completely, though was fairly happy with what he could.

"Kind of reminds me of your old robe, Midna," he remarked, spreading his arms wide to judge the fit of the sleeves.

"That's where I got the inspiration from," Ilia said. She then summoned another cloak in a flurry of shadow particles. "This one's for Midna. I had a bit more trouble guessing the measurements since you're way taller than I am, but I think it'll work."

This piece was similar to Link's but much longer and with light-blue designs. The bottom barely hung above the ground but overall it fitted the twili rather well. Midna almost looked like her royal self again Link thought, minus the tiara and finer material. She still looked like a princess in his eyes though. She always did. As impressive as the cloaks were, though, there was a major concern that Link couldn't ignore.

"Ilia, I appreciate the thought," he said as gently as he could, "but these aren't exactly subtle. If we're all wearing one of these then people are going to know who we are from a mile off."

"People are going to notice us whether we do or don't," Ilia countered dejectedly. "There are nearly twenty of us. That's going to draw attention no matter what we do. Remember how quickly Shara figured who we were? She only needed to see you and Midna to work it out. I'm tired of hiding, Link. It just doesn't work anymore. I don't care if people know we're sorcerers, mages, witches or whatever the hell else they want to call us. And quite frankly some of the others feel the same way as I do."

Link took in what she had said and considered it carefully. It was true he had to admit, all their efforts to stay incognito had become futile. No matter what they did, the truth always came out sooner rather than later. That was why it was impossible for the tribe to remain in one place for too long, before their enemies closed in like bloodhounds to a skulk of foxes. It was all just wasted energy Link came to realize.

"Without the cloaks we can avoid causing a scene for a few hours or a day at most, but with them we won't even have five minutes," he argued.

"So what?" Midna asked exasperatedly. "We usually just pack up and go once we've restocked anyway, so we might as well show ourselves off. If people like that lard-ass, Teryll, try to capture us then we'll use the warp-and-go tactic like we always do."

Releasing a defeated sigh, Link finally agreed with the two women. "Alright, Ilia. You can go ahead and give these out if you want. But keep the designs simple, nothing too flashy. Just because I'm agreeing to this doesn't mean I want to enter every little village with a parade."

The country girl nodded with an excited grin on her face. "I'll get to work right away. I just hope I've got enough dye, though." As she went off in a hurry, Link lifted his head towards the sky and prayed to the goddesses that he wasn't going to regret this.

* * *

**You might have noticed I introduced an number of new characters. Don't concern yourselves with remembering names. If any of them are important then they'll pop up later more often than the rest. I didn't even bother giving a name or identity to most of them.**


End file.
